


Quidditch, Potions and Husbands

by SazzyAuzzy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Comfort, Drama, Family, Hurt, M/M, Marriage, OC, Original Characters - Freeform, Potions, Quidditch, Romance, Sexual Content, alternative universe, husband, relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2018-11-11 05:27:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 31,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11141910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SazzyAuzzy/pseuds/SazzyAuzzy
Summary: James Potter is a handsome professional Quidditch player with trust issues. Severus Snape is a potions apprentice and has never fallen in love before. When their first kiss is unexpected for both of them; they find that the things you least expect can lead to something special. These two learn how to trust and love one another, but it's difficult when you have the whole nation following you around as you do.





	1. Kissing a Stranger

**James’s POV**

Diagon Alley was quiet. There were few people making their way along the bricked path; lunch was over and everyone had rushed back to their jobs or had moved on for the day. The sun was high in the sky giving a welcome warmth, and mystical glow to the alley.

I couldn't help but want to lift my head and close my eyes; letting the sun soak into my skin would have been a great way to spend my afternoon. It was rare, these days, that I could walk along a street like Diagon Alley and not get flocked by fans. Normally glamour's were needed just so I could go about everyday tasks. Being able to walk along the bricks like I had done as a child with my parents, all those years ago, was relaxing.

Sirius Black, my best friend since the beginning of our first year at Hogwarts, had convinced me that we needed to spend the afternoon together. Apparently, he was feeling neglected, and he needed some advice. But Sirius, being Sirius, avoided talking about himself and asked me all about Quidditch.

Sirius frowned. His hands in his pockets as we walked. "You said that they told you that practice would be on Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday's, why would they change it at the last minute?"

I nodded. I had been recruited to play as a chaser for ‘Puddlemere United' in my seventh year at Hogwarts. They had wanted me to play that season, but after a long discussion with my parents and friends, I decided to train with the team but wait until I finished school. I got to know my teammates well through the weekly training sessions, and now three years later I was one of the main chasers on the team. "They did," I said. "But apparently the changes couldn't be helped and if we want to get some field time then we better suck it up and deal with it. More likely, Harold complained that he couldn't commit to those days and because he is the golden boy everyone has to deal with what he wants." There were a few teammates that I would have preferred to not deal with, but with like every job, there were people you didn't like.

Sirius smirked. "Because no one ever used their popularity and skill in Quidditch to get what they wanted." He looked pointedly at me.

I rolled my eyes. "That was school. This is meant to be professional Quidditch." If I wanted to deal with favouritism I would have stayed in school.

Sirius reached out and grabbed my shoulder. "It is professional." He smiled. "Do you not see your paycheck after every match? Or advertisement?"

I rolled my eyes again. How I had put up with him for so long, I didn't know. I nudged his hand off me and said, "You know that isn't what I meant."

He nodded. "I know. But working as an Aurora isn't much better. Just this morning, in the break room, I overheard Kingsley and Roberts gossiping like two girls. They were even giggling." He looked weirded out.

I asked, "Who were they talking about?"

Sirius looked away from me. "Mad-Eye got a new assistant. The girl likes to wear low cut shirts. And if I were straight, I am sure that I would have had a go around by now."

"Does Moony know about this girl?" Moony, or Remus, was another friend from school. Sirius and I had met him on the train and dubbed him our mother hen. It wasn't until our fifth year at school that the two admitted they were in love. And had been ever since.

Sirius said, "Yeah. But he knows that he is the only wolf I want."

"Speaking of which, have you asked him yet?" I asked.

Sirius had wanted to ask Remus to marry him for months. But the boy had lacked the Gryffindor courage.

He shook his head. "No. I can't find the right moment." He fiddled with his coats buttons.

I said, "You have had the ring for three months!"

"I know, I know." He waved his hand at me. Shooing me like a fly. "I almost did it yesterday. We just had the most amazing-"

I covered my ears and said, "I don't want any of those details."

He smiled and chuckled. "Right, sorry. But we had finished and just looking at him I wanted to ask."

I asked, "Why didn't you?"

He shrugged. "Because I thought he might think it was lame. It wouldn't have exactly been romantic."

I threw my arm over his shoulders and gave him a squeeze. "Moony isn't some high school girl who wants a dozen red roses and some fancy meal. He wants you to be you. Take him out for a ride on your bike, somewhere you both love, and just ask him. No stress, no mess."

His eyes widened and so did his smile. "That's a great idea." He clapped my arm. "This is why you are my best friend."

"Really? I thought it was because nobody else can put up with you," I said.

"Ha-ha." He poked his tongue out at me. Real mature.

"Is that James Potter?"

Both Sirius and I snapped our heads to the left. Two young girls, most likely teenagers, were standing in the doorway of some shop both staring at him. Their mouths open, completely shocked at seeing me.

"What? Where?" Another girl appeared behind them.

"There!" One pointed at me.

"Oh shit." Sirius grabbed my jacket and nudged me back in the direction we had come from.

"JAMES! OH, MY, GOD! IT IS!" One of the girls squealed and pushed past her friends.

Sirius nudged me harder. "You better run mate."

I nodded. "Yeah, I'll catch up with you later." Turning and taking off, it was days like these I was grateful that Quidditch required me to be fit. It allowed me to escape those chasing me.

"JAMES WAIT!" One voice called after me.

I jumped around a woman who suddenly changed direction. Jumped over a cart of apples, and pushed my way between two men who yelled at me.

"COME BACK!"

I ducked and turned left into another alley. There were more people, and while it slowed me down it also slowed down the girls.

"MARRY ME, JAMES!"

The screaming girls caught the attention of the people around us. More people seemed to notice who I was. I frowned and ducked around another corner.

"I LOVE YOU!"

I spotted a bookshop on the corner and pushed my way past a man who was exiting. Stumbling inside, I slid behind a shelf and knocked into someone.

"Watch it."

I took a second to take a deep breath and relaxed. "That was a close one." I then noticed the person I had knocked into dropped four books on the floor. "Oh, sorry. I didn't see you."

"Clearly." He sounded annoyed and put out by my sudden appearance.

I collected the books and stood. "Here."

He took them from me and tucked them under his arm. "Thank you."

I couldn't help but admire the handsome young man. He was certainly not some I expected to find in a bookshop. He had shiny black hair that fell just below his shoulders. His skin was pale but it suited him. And his eyes were the darkest eyes I had ever seen, but they looked warmer than any other. I smiled at him and tried to look apologetic. "I am sorry. Had to dodge a few girls."

He frowned and wiggled his nose. Like he disapproved of me. "Trying to keep your multiple lovers from discovering that they exist?" he asked.

I let out a soft laugh and scratched the back of my head. Clearly, he either didn't care who I was or wasn't a Quidditch fan. Which either it was, I found it refreshing. "No. They want my autograph. And to marry me."

His frown didn't lessen. Instead, he moved to walk past me.

"I think he went in here."

I frowned at the voice. It was one of the fan girls.

"I'll check down here," said another girl.

"Shit." I stepped closer to the young man, I needed to do something so they wouldn't think it was me.

"What are you doing?" The man took a step back.

I grabbed his shoulders and said, "Shh. Just act natural."

He tried to step out of my grip. "I am. You are the one who is acting weird."

I looked around, but I couldn't think of anything.

The young man was glaring at me now. But his eyes still held a warmth that made my heart skip a beat. He was beautiful. He shoved at my stomach but instead of letting him go I pulled him closer. "Wha-" I cut off his words with my lips.

His lips were warm and soft against mine. His breathing and body froze for a second before his tongue touched mine.

I cupped his cheeks and allowed myself to feel every inch of his mouth. My brain was screaming at me to not let this end. And my body wanted to feel more of him.

He was the one who pulled away.

I had to hold down the whimper that wanted to protest the loss of his warmth against me. "Wow." It was the only word I could manage.

His eyes were filled with shock and desire. "That was…" He touched his lips and looked down at the floor.

"Wow?" I asked, hoping he would agree.

His face changed quickly. His eyes turned sharp and he glared at me. His hand lifted up quickly and struck me across the cheek. "Don't just go around kissing people who don't know you." He struck my cheek again before turning away and storming out of the store.

"Wait, what is your…name," I called after him but he was gone. "Damn it!"

* * *

  **Severus's POV**

"What kind of man does such a thing?" I dusted off my shoulder as I stood next to the Floo. The whole way home, I couldn't believe the nerve of that asshole. Who just sticks their tongue in someone else's throat. "And then has the audacity to imply that I enjoyed being molested by a complete stranger." I stepped out into the hallway, heading down to my room.

"Do you make a habit of talking to yourself?"

I jumped and said, "Shit!"

Behind me stood my mother. Eileen Snape. She was always surprising me. "Language."

I forced a smile. "Sorry ma, you surprised me."

"I don't know why. I live here too," she said. Moving past me, we entered the kitchen and with a wave of her wand the dishes started to dance along the bench top. And with another wave, the broom in the corner began to clean the floor.

I said, "I thought you were out today."

She said, "My plans were cancelled."

"Oh." I had been hoping to visit Lily and discuss what had happened, but I knew my mother liked us to spend time together. And with my busy schedule as an apprentice, we hadn't seen a lot of each other.

She asked, "Did you get the books you wanted?"

I nodded. "Some."

"Were they out of the others."

"No."

"Then why didn't you get them?"

"Um…"

"Does it have to do with a ‘stranger molesting you'?" She smirked. It was like she could read my mind.

"Maybe," I said. It was something I really wanted to discuss with my mother.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head. "Not really, no."

She shrugged. "Okay. Well, I will be out in the garden if you want me for anything."

I nodded. "Okay. I was going to head over to visit Lily, anyway."

"Very well. Tell Lily I said ‘hello'." She waved me off and walked out the door.

"I will." I stood in the kitchen for a moment and looked around. Feeling the magic as it danced through the kitchen was a relief after all these years. The house had always felt hollow when my father was alive. He had hated magic and didn't allow either of us to use it.

My father, Tobias Snape, had been a horrible man. From the day, he was born to the day he died. My mother had tried to tell me that before he found out about the magic that he was a completely different man. He had been loving and caring; everything her family wasn't. I never believed it.

It wasn't until my sixth year at Hogwarts that he finally died. I received a letter from mum, it was short and simple. I was given permission to attend the funeral but refused. Why would I want to pay my respects to a man that I hated?

Everything was better after that. I returned home for Christmas and was delighted to find that mother had cleaned and fixed the house. A Christmas tree, beautifully decorated, stood in the corner. My home was unrecognisable. And my mother even brought me presents. Our relationship had grown since, and I knew that this was how a mother and son were meant to be.

I left the books I had bought up in my room before apparating to Lily's. She had only recently moved out of home and was living a muggle apartment. I let myself in and found her lounging on the watching the television. She smiled at me and told me to pour myself a glass of wine before joining her.

Sitting on the floor, I told her what had happened.

She sat up rather quickly with a cheeky smile on her. "So, you are telling me, that a man grabbed you and kissed you for no reason."

"Yes, that is what I am telling you." I took a sip of my wine and dropped my head backwards. "What kind of person does that?" Another sip.

Lily asked, "Was he ugly?"

"No. Does that matter?"

"Old?" she asked.

I frowned. "No."

"Then what is the problem?" She looked surprised. "A handsome guy kissed you. I wish it happened to me." She took a sip of her own wine.

I took a large gulp and grabbed the bottle to pour more into both of our glasses. "The problem is that he kissed me without my permission."

She frowned. "Was he that bad at kissing?"

"Yes! Well, no. Actually, it was rather enjoyable." His lips were rather soft, and he certainly knew what to do with his tongue. I found myself licking my bottom lip. I frowned and shook my head.

Lily shrugged. "Then who cares. You got to make out with a hot stranger. Let it go."

I rolled my eyes. "You are no help."

Lily laughed and slid down to sit beside me on the floor. She grabbed my hand. "If it was me who, as you put it, got ‘molested' by a handsome stranger who was a good kisser, I would have at least asked for a name."

"I was too busy slapping him."

Her mouth dropped open. "You slapped him?"

I nodded. "Twice." Another big sip of wine.

Lily smirked. "Wow, you must have really enjoyed it."

I nudged her shoulder. "I did not."

She laughed. "Oh, stop it. I know you, Sev. It is why you are so flustered and haven't shut up about it since you arrived."

I blushed. "You are the one who has been questioning me about me."

Lily just giggled and drank her wine. "What did he look like?"

I shrugged. "Why does it matter?"

"Because I want to get a good visual so if I spot him one day, I can try him out myself."

"You're so gross." I screwed up my nose.

"Anyway, details!" She clapped her hands together, almost like by doing so she made it a demand.

I sighed and took another sip of wine. "From what I noticed he was around six feet. Black hair. He wore glasses, and had hazel eyes."

"If you weren't interested in him, why do you remember the colour of his eyes?" she asked.

"Because before he grabbed me I may have been eyeing him up a bit." It was true. His eyes were the first thing I noticed behind his glasses. Next was his bum. But that didn't matter anymore.

"Did he give you a reason for his actions?" she asked.

"He said something about avoiding fangirls or whatever. He probably wanted to avoid his girlfriends."

"Wait. Fangirls?" Lily grasped my arm.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, fangirls."

She placed the wine glass on the table and stood up. "Hazel eyes, black hair, glasses?"

"Yes."

"Did you happen to notice if he has a scar over his right eyebrow?" She picked up a stack of magazines and grabbed a newspaper.

"Maybe, why?"

She had a copy of the Daily Prophet. "This is why." She placed the copy down on the table.

There on the sports page section was a picture of the man who had kissed me. Except he was holding a broom in one hand and dressed in a uniform. He had a big smile on his face. He wasn't alone in the picture, but he was clearly the favourite. "Hey, that's him. Why is he in the prophet?"

"Well, this handsome young man is a chaser for ‘Puddlemere United' and he has been scouted for the English team for the World Cup. His name is James Potter."

So, the man had a name. And one that suited him well.

"And he is one of the best players around at the moment. Everyone loves him." Lily was only into Quidditch for the boys. A guy liked it when a girl new about sports.

I shrugged again. "Well, I've never heard of him." I took another sip.

"You also never liked Quidditch." Lily sat back down.

I frowned. "I don't do sports."

"Besides that, you got to snog England's most eligible bachelor. Lucky sod." She poked my shoulder.

"Whatever."

"You should try and get in contact with him." She picked up her wine again.

"Why would I do that?" I reached for the bottle.

"Because then you can get another kiss, or maybe something more."

"I think I'll pass." But if it did happen again, I don't think I would complain so much.

"Or maybe put in a good word for me."

I emptied the bottle into my glass. "Seriously?"

"You are such a prude, Sev."

I took a sip. "Better a prude than a slut."

She pouted. "Hey, don't be mean. I merely like to have sex. At least they aren't strangers. I know the people I sleep with before I shove my tongue down their throat." She teased me by flicking her tongue from side to side.

I groaned. "Why do I put up with you?"

"For the free wine. Should I grab another bottle?"

"Yes. And do you have any chocolate?"

"Of course, I do."

I smiled. "That is why I put up with you."

The idea of running into James again wasn't such a bad idea. Kissing him again, on my terms, wouldn't be such a bad idea either. It wouldn't happen though. Running into famous people happened very rarely, and it was doubtful to happen twice. James would just be a funny story that I would tell people.


	2. Meeting a Stranger

**James’s POV**

The sun was beating down hard on the pitch. Sweat cling to everyone’s bodies as we were finally dismissed from training. My hair was dripping sweat onto my glasses making it hard for me to see. I didn’t bother to wipe them.

With my broom in my hand, I walked alongside a few of my teammates. All of us sore from a hard training session. Last season we had made it to the finals for the first time in over forty years. The loss had hit us all hard, but this year we were all determined to win; our coach most of all. With new training drills and plays to be mastered, we were being pushed to our limits.

I groaned and cracked my neck as I walked into the locker room.

One of my teammates, Marcus Brown, clapped my shoulder. “Nice moves out there today, Potter.”

“Thanks. But I’m going to feel that last pass tomorrow.” I rubbed at my chest.

Brown smiled. “Should give you a nice bruise.”

“Yeah, it can match the rest of them.” I sat down on the chair beside my locker. Leaning forward, I untied my boots and kicked them off. Wiggling my toes, enjoying the freedom.

“I’m sure your mystery man can help make you feel better,” Brown said.

I frowned at him. What on earth? Mystery man? “What?” I said.

“Your boyfriend.”

“I don’t have one.”

A few of the boys laughed. Brown stepped closer. “We won’t judge you, man. If you like boys that’s fine. No need to lie.”

“Yeah, okay, I swing both ways, but I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Then who is this?” Harrison, another teammate, walked over and handed me a copy of the Daily Prophet. In the centre of the front page was a picture of me, lip locked with the handsome stranger from the book shop. It wasn’t a professional photo, and it didn’t show the man’s face; all you could see was me kissing another guy.

I laughed. “That is not my boyfriend.”

“Then why are you kissing him?”

“Funny story. I was running away from a herd of screaming teenage girls and ducked into a bookshop. I bumped into this handsome stranger and I needed to hide, and somehow I ended up kissing him.” I smiled at the memory. The kiss was certainly one I couldn’t forget.

“That good of a kiss, huh?”

“What?”

“That stupid grin on your face. Was it that good?”

“Certainly not something I will forget.”

“Are you taking him on a date then?”

“No. I didn’t even get his name. He was too busy running away for me to ask.”

“That’s got to suck.” Brown clapped my shoulder and walked back over to his locker.

Looking back at the picture, I knew I needed to find this man. I wanted to. But I had no idea where to start looking. I couldn’t walk around Diagon Alley and ask everyone if they knew the guy that I was kissing, that would be extremely awkward. I placed the paper on the ground and pulled my top over my head. There had to be something I could do.

I let my mind wander as I showered and changed. Cooling down after training was relaxing, normally, but all I could think about was finding my mystery man. He could be a wizard from anywhere. I remember his dark black hair and his beautiful dark eyes, but there was nothing that could give me any clue where to find him.

As I got home, I wasn’t surprised to find Sirius camped out on my couch. He had been here every night for a week. Remus had left town due to family business, that is what they told me anyway, and Sirius had been a moaning mess. He clearly missed his boyfriend, and dragging me down in his loneliness was his way of feeling better.

“How was training?” he asked.

I grabbed a beer from the fridge and joined him on the couch. “Exhausting. Coach is pushing us hard.”

“Good. This year you better win the final.”

“We will. This year, the Irish won’t know what hit them.”

“Hell yeah.”

I laughed. “Did you see the Prophet today?”

Sirius sighed heavily. “No.”

“I was on the front page.”

“What have you done this time to make you so popular?”

“Remember the guy I kissed the other day.”

“The one in the bookshop?”

“Yeah. Well, someone snapped a pic and sent it in. Me and this mystery guy were front page. The article rambled on about some secret romance.”

Sirius snorted. “You? Secret romance?” He let the laughter bubble out. “You couldn’t hide anything if you tried. If I remember correctly, you are far to affectionate to control yourself.”

“Speak for yourself.”

“I can do whatever I want. Moony doesn’t care.”

“No. But I’m sure that the young girl working at the Leaky Caldron is thoroughly scarred after catching both of you in multiple stages of undress, in multiple rooms, of the pub.”

Sirius shrugged. “That isn’t my fault. Moony gets particularly frisky when the full moon draws closer.”

I stuck my fingers in my ears. “I don’t want to know.”

“You brought it up.”

“That is beside the point.”

“Whatever.” He shrugged.

“I want to find him.”

Sirius frowned. “Who?”

I sighed. “The guy I kissed.”

“Oh. Why?”

“Because when you kiss more than one person you come to notice when a certain kiss is different from the rest. And this kiss was insane. The best kiss of my life.”

“The best?”

I nodded. “Yes. I want to find out if the man I kissed is just as amazing as his kissing.”

“You sound like such a sap.” He smirked.

“Says the one who is pining for his boyfriend.”

“Don’t be mean.” His smirk slipped into a pout.

“This works two ways, buddy.”

Sirius sighed. “Look, if you think there could be something then go and find him.”

“How?” I sunk lower into the couch.

“Start at the bookshop where you met. He might go back.”

I sat up. “You are a genius.”

“I know.” He smiled.

“Now go home.”

“What?”

“I need to get some rest. And I’m sure Moony will be home any minute and you wouldn’t want to miss him.”

Sirius jumped up. “Yeah, I better go. Bye.” He was out of the door before I stood up.

I couldn’t help but laugh; when it came to Remus, it was all he cared about. He could lose a limb and all he would care about is if Remus was okay. I envied the love that the two of them shared. The only person I had ever felt that way about was one girl from school, I thought that I loved her and that one day I would marry her. Until I found her with a dick in her mouth and a cock up her ass. Bloody slut had only liked me for my money.

I hadn’t been in a serious relationship since. It hadn’t ruined love for me, but it had ruined my ability to trust. This mystery man was handsome and an amazing kisser, I knew nothing about him. Forgetting about it was what my distrustful side wanted; you can’t trust someone you don’t know. My heart wanted to get to know him though; what if he was the one? It was sappy and pathetic, but going back to the bookshop could change my life.

* * *

**Severus’s POV**

I pushed the door to ‘Magical Books and Goods’ and was relieved to find it basically empty. Having to deal with other customers was always a nuisance; I much preferred to explore the shelves in peace and quiet. Normally, I visited the bookstore often, always looking for new books to study. Mum had called me a knowledge sucker; I was constantly looking for new things to learn.

I had only two books on my list, ‘Potions of Healing’ and ‘A Guide to Plants that Heal’. The potion I was trying to create was to heal open wounds. Instead of drinking it, you would pour it on the wound and it would instantly heal. I was struggling to get it to work though. I seemed to be missing something.

Walking to the counter, I smiled at the girl behind it. She was new and looked nervous. I tried to be as nice as possible. “Hi, do you have these two books in stock?” I handed her the piece of paper with the title and authors on it.

She looked at the paper for a moment before nodding. “Yes. You can find Potions of Healing just near the front window, but the other is out the back. I’ll go grab you a copy.”

“Thank you.” I turned and walked over to the front window. Mixed in with a few other books about potions, and Rita Skeeters first book—of which there were many copies—was the last copy of ‘Potions of Healing’. Grabbing the copy, I flipped it open and skimmed over the contents.

“I didn’t actually believe that I would run into you again.”

I jumped in surprise and looked to my left. There, standing in a perfectly fitting t-shirt and a pair of tight jeans was James Potter. “You,” I said. What was he doing here? Again!

He smiled. “Yeah, me.”

I frowned and took a step away from him. “You’re not going to kiss me again, are you?” If he tried to, I didn’t know how I would react. It was horrible the last time; it was the surprise that caught me off guard.

He shrugged. “Not unless you ask me too.”

“You might be waiting awhile for that.” I looked back down at my book.

He said, “I’m willing to wait.”

I could feel my cheeks turn red. “Okay.” Why did a stranger make me react in such a way?

“I’m James Potter, by the way.” He held out his hand.

I nodded. “Yes, I know.”

He looked at me surprised. “So, you did know who I was?”

“No. My friend educated me on who you were after she realised who you were.”

His eyebrows lifted up and he slipped his hands into his pockets. “Oh. I guess you understand why I kissed you then.”

I frowned. “No, not really.”

He blushed and rubbed the back of his head. “I was really just trying to hide from the girls.”

“The kiss may have hidden you from the girls in the store, but apparently someone on the outside noticed you.” It wasn’t a welcome surprise to find myself on the front page of the Daily Prophet with speculation about a secret romance. Why reporters had to exaggerate everything was beyond me.

He said, “I’m so sorry about that. I didn’t think it would end up in the paper. I really wasn’t thinking at all.”

“Clearly.” I turned to walk down the first aisle and look at the books displayed.

He followed and said, “Look, to make it up to you, let me buy you dinner.”

“No.” I shook my head.

“Lunch?” he asked.

I said, “No.”

“Breakfast?” he tried.

I smirked. “No.”

“How about a drink then?”

I stopped and turned to face him. “A drink?”

He nodded. “Yeah. One drink. And if you don’t want to spend any more time in my company than you can leave. You can even pick the time and place.”

“One drink.”

“Yes, one.”

There was nothing dangerous with one drink. Two or three would change things, but two people can share one drink with no attachments. There was no danger in a drink.

“Just so I can apologise for the kiss, and for it ending up in the photo,” he said. A small smile on his face.

I relented. “Fine, okay.”

“Really?” His smile widened and he clapped his hands together.

I smirked and snorted. “Yes. You can meet me at the Blue Lounge in London. Tonight at 9.”

“Done.”

I turned back away from him and reached for a book on the shelf, and said, “I’ll see you there.”

He stayed a step behind me.

Why wasn’t he leaving?

He asked, “Can I know your name before I leave?”

“What?” I frowned.

“Your name. Or should I continue to refer to you as my mystery boy.”

I blushed. I hadn’t even realised that he didn’t know my name. “Um…it’s Severus. Severus Snape.”

His smiled and stood directly in front of me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Severus.” He quickly leant forward and peck my cheek.

I blushed even more.

He smirked and moved towards the door. “Until tonight,” he said. The door swinging shut behind him.

I frowned after him. The cheeky bugger. Kissing me when he didn’t know my name, and now pecking my cheek when he did. Meeting him for a drink could be a disaster. I knew though, that if Lily found out we had bumped into one another again and I had refused him, she would kill me. And no one would ever find my body.

She was always encouraging me to put myself out in the world and find someone, but I had always been awkward when it came to those type of relationships. Even making friendships was something I struggled with; Lily was really my only real friend.

The girl from behind the counter approached me and held out a book. “Sorry, I took so long. It was buried deep.”

“Thank you,” I said. Taking the book, I flipped through it before slipping it under my arm with the other and moved towards the counter to pay.

I had never had a boyfriend, or a girlfriend, or anyone that I would say that I ‘loved’ in that way. Sure, there had been a few men, and even a girl at one point, that I had discovered my sexuality with, but that had only ever been once or twice. I could count a number of times I had sex on my fingers.

James Potter was the type of man that everyone dreamed about dating. Handsome, famous, rich, sweet. But that is what he was, a dream. Having me kiss me and ask me out, was overloading my brain.

I didn’t know what would happen, but as I made my way out of the bookstore and home, I felt excited. Another thought occurred to me though as I apparated home. What was I going to wear?


	3. A Drink with a Stranger

**James's POV**

The bar wasn't what I had expected. It was fairly large in size and was busy. The dance floor was full of people grinding against one another, doing what muggles do. I was glad to be in a place that I wouldn't be recognised. The bar was busy, but I squashed my way in and ordered a beer.

I managed to get my beer and move slightly out of the way to wait for Severus. I was more nervous than I had ever been and didn't know what would come out of it. After telling Sirius about my date, he had told me a list of things to do and not to do. Some of his points made sense, but Remus jumped in and told me the best thing I could do was ignore everything Sirius said and just be myself.

Sometimes I didn't know how to be myself. I was always worried what people would think about me, I had to project a positive image because of my Quidditch fame. How do I just be me?

I made it onto my second beer within an hour. Standing by the bar, a few girls walked up and spoke to me but when they realised I wasn't interested they moved on. A few sparkly boys had been sending me flirtatious winks and blowing kisses in my direction too.

I was nearing the end of my second beer when it occurred to me that Severus wasn't coming. He had stood me up. Waiting for an hour made that clear. I drowned the rest of the contents and placed the bottle on the bar.

"How many do I need to have before I catch up with you."

It was him. Severus. I turned my head to look him up and down. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of him. His long black hair was tied up at the back of his neck. He had on a white button up shirt with a tightly fitted pair of black jeans. He looked absolutely amazing, but he was an hour late. "I thought you had stood me up."

"I was going too." At least he was honest.

I frowned and stood from the stool I was seated on. "You could have just said no."

He sighed. "I know. At the time, I wanted to have a drink with you but I panicked. My best friend knocked some sense into me though. I'm not too late, am I?" He had a small smile on his face. It was utterly adorable. How could I say no?

I returned my own smile. "No. But how about we go somewhere quieter?"

He nodded. "Okay."

I led Severus out of the bar. Without even really thinking about it, I took his hand and led him down the street and around the corner.

I asked, "Do you mind if we aparate?"

He shook his head. "No."

Holding his hand tight, we disappeared with a soft pop and landed outside of my favourite muggle diner. They served the best milkshakes. We stood rather close together, our chests almost touching.

He didn't move away as he asked, "Where are we?"

"Just outside of London. This is my favourite diner. They serve the best milkshakes." The diner wasn't large, but it was styled to look like a classic American diner. Even the uniforms worked perfectly with the style.

"So, it says." He looked at the advertisement across the window.

I stepped towards the door. "Shall we go in?"

"Sure."

It wasn't until we stepped inside and moved to sit in one of the booths that I noticed that I had yet to let go of his hand. Releasing my grip, I sat across from him and smiled gently. "Were you scared that I would try and kiss you again? Is that why you didn't want to come?"

He laughed. "No. But if you did try I would probably run away."

I nodded. "Good to know. I will keep my lips away from yours unless asked."

"What makes you so sure that I would want you to kiss me again?" he asked.

I smirked. "Because I know, that you know, that our first kiss was breathtaking. Even if it was unexpected."

He frowned at me, but his eyes still held laughter.

"What can I get for you two?" The waitress asked. I hadn't even noticed walk over.

I smiled. "Two chocolate thick shakes with extra ice-cream and cream. Also, a bowl of hot chips, please."

"Sure thing." She wrote down what I said before walking away.

Severus leant back in the booth and tapped his finger on the table. "Ordering for me now?"

I said, "Oh, sorry. It just that when you come here you have to have a chocolate thick shake with their chips. It is a must."

He raised one eyebrow.

I knew the action was meant to make it appear that he doubted me, but all I could do was smile. It was almost cute.

He said, "Okay then. I'm trusting you."

"So, Severus Snape." I let his name roll off my tongue. "What do you do for a living?"

"Currently I am a potions apprentice. I am hoping to complete my mastery by the end of next month."

"A potions master." He was a smart man. I liked someone who was intelligent and wasn't afraid to hide it. "That sounds exciting."

"It is, to me." He looked down at his hands like he was embarrassed.

I didn't want him to be. I said, "I struggled with potions in school, never found myself enjoying much to my mother's disappointment." And it was true. My teacher had said it was dangerous for me to go anywhere near a cauldron.

"She liked potions?" he asked.

I nodded. "It was one of her favourite subjects, and she stills dabbles in it for fun. When I ended up with my father's skills for it, she was rather disappointed. I leant more towards defence and transfigurations." I laughed thinking about my mother's tries at getting me to understand and enjoy potions. "She tries to teach me. But it only ended with both of us covered from head to toe in a green slime that exploded out of the cauldron."

Severus laughed. It was almost magical. He smiled. "I loved defence as much as potions."

I said, "You could be an aurora."

He frowned. "Potions is my true passion, and the idea of having to work at the ministry doesn't sound like fun."

"I can agree with that. My father always told me that when my career as a Quidditch player ends that I could find some good work there. But I'm not one to be stuck in an office all day." I enjoyed the fresh air and space way too much.

Severus asked, "Has playing Quidditch always been what you wanted to do?"

I nodded. "I've loved it for as long as I can remember. It was something my father and I shared. He took me to games whenever he could, and when I got to Hogwarts I just loved it that much more. Mum and Dad always made it out to games when I made it onto the Gryffindor team."

He looked surprised. "You went to Hogwarts."

"Yep." I nodded. "Class of '78."

"You were three years above me," he said.

"Really?" I never remembered seeing him.

"Yes, but I was in Slytherin."

"I guess that makes us enemies then," I said. The smile on my face made it clear I was only joking.

He smiled and nodded. "You guess right. This will never work. A Gryffindor and a Slytherin. The founders would be turning in their graves." He let out a small chuckle.

"I can't believe that I don't remember you from school." The only Slytherin's I could remember were the two girls that had decided they needed to have a threesome. It wasn't as life-shattering amazing as most boys claimed it would be.

Severus frowned. "Why would you? We were in different years and had different interests."

I looked down and played with my fingers. I smiled and said, "I would have thought that I would remember someone who looks like you."

He snorted. "What a greasy haired bookworm with a hooked nose."

It was my turn to frown. "You look nothing like that."

"I did in school."

"I doubt that."

"My classmates made sure I knew it." He rubbed the back of his head.

"That's horrible."

He shrugged. "It gave me a much-needed backbone."

"Well, honesty, I think that you outshine every single person in this room. Including yours truly." I wanted to make him smile again. I also wanted to punch every single person he went to school with that made his life horrible.

He laughed. "You think I'm better looking than you?"

"Yep!" I nodded.

"You are clearly deluded."

"Fine, I'll prove it to you." I liked to be right. This would just be another one of those occasions.

The waitress arrived at the perfect time, bringing us our shakes and chips. She placed them down with a smile. "Here you go boys."

"Thank you." Severus reached for a chip.

I smiled up at her and said, "I have a question for you."

She nodded. "Sure."

"My friend here." I gestured to Severus. "Thinks that he in unattractive. Be completely honest, what do you think of him?"

She looked him up and down, smirked and placed one hand on her hip. She said, "Honey, you are handsome. That long black hair and those dark eyes makes you one of those rare handsome and brooding types. I would date you in a heartbeat."

Severus blushed bright red and mumbled a polite thank you.

I laughed and said, "Thank you."

She just nodded and walked away.

"I told you," I said.

He shrugged. He seemed to do it a lot. "That is one person."

I sighed. "How many people would it take for you to agree with me?"

He shrugged again.

"That isn't an answer."

He slouched down in his chair. "I don't honestly know. Can we please change the subject?"

I was tempted to roll my eyes, but instead, I said, "Fine. Try your thick-shake."

"Better be as good as you said." He pulled his shake towards him.

I took a sip of my own and watched. "It's even better."

He smiled and took a large sip. His eyes lit up and a soft moan escaped his lips. "That's fantastic."

"I told you."

"I should never have doubted you."

I couldn't help but smile. Just from a short conversation, it was clear that he doubted himself and his looks. How had I not noticed him at Hogwarts? He was beautiful and made the butterflies in my stomach flutter every time he smiled. I didn't want him to ever stop smiling.

* * *

**Severus's POV**

We sat in the diner for almost three hours talking. I ended up getting a second shake, they were amazing. The whole conversation was something I hadn't experienced. I hadn't laughed so much in my whole life, and sitting across from James I felt so comfortable. It was like I had known him for most of my life.

I had been so scared to meet him at the bar. If Lily hadn't shown up when she did, I would have missed out on getting to know James. When he brought up Hogwarts, it only took me a moment to remember him.

I remember watching him in the great hall sometimes. He would be at the Gryffindor table with his friends, laughing and smiling. I noticed him in the halls, and how handsome he was. In my fourth year, I knew that I had a crush on him. It was silly, I didn't even find out his name until months after.

But, as I sat across from him I could see why he had been one of my first crushes. His smile and laugh made my body tingle. He was so sweet and charming. How was he still single? And the fact that he had taken me out was even more unbelievable. If we were still in school I would have thought that someone was playing a prank on me. But we weren't in school, and James seemed to really be interested in getting to know me.

We left the diner and James offered to take me home. I agreed eagerly. I wasn't ready for our night to end. He took my hand again, lacing our fingers together. We stood chest to chest as we were sucked away, and landed gently outside of my home.

"Thank you for tonight," I said.

He smiled. "Thank you for meeting up with me."

"Yeah, I'm sorry that I was so late." It was embarrassing. Anyone else would never have stood up such a handsome and charming man.

He shrugged. "You showed up. That is all that matters."

"I had fun. I haven't laughed that much with anyone." I looked down at our joined hands.

"I had fun too. Don't go spreading the word about the shakes though. That is top secret."

I laughed. "My lips are sealed."

"I better get going. I've got training tomorrow."

"Yeah, okay." I didn't want to let go of his fingers.

He looked at our joined hands and didn't move. "When will I see you again?"

"When do you want to see me again?" I asked.

"How about Friday?"

Two days from now. I nodded. "Friday night?"

"Friday afternoon. I know an amazing spot for a picnic."

I smiled. How romantic. "That sounds wonderful."

"Great. I can pick you up at 12?" he asked.

I nodded. "Perfect."

"I will see you then."

"I will be waiting."

He stepped back, his fingers falling from mine.

I grasped his fingers and pulled him back to me. I kept my eyes trained on our hands and stood so that our bodies were pressed firmly together. His breath danced across my face. I wanted to reach up and kiss him. He had brought up the kiss twice. The first to apologise but the second to tease me.

"I want to kiss you again." His voice was husky, and it brought me from my thoughts. "But I promised that I wouldn't kiss you until you said to."

I looked up at him and looked at his lips. Just do it! I wanted to. Just kiss him. I cupped both sides of his face and guided his lips to mine. They were warm and soft, just like the first time.

His arms wrapped around my waist, and I felt his tongue run against my lips. I let him in and he moved his tongue against mine. It was gentle and sweet and amazing. I never wanted it to stop. I moaned against his mouth and buried my fingers into his hair. I used my grip to pull him down to my height. Our mouths moved together, our breathing becoming quick pants. His hands cupped my lower back and pushed our hips together.

I pulled back only when I was desperate for air. My fingers still gripped his hair, and my breathing was heavy. I smiled at the smile on his face.

"Better than the first time," he said. "I suppose, a kiss is always better when both participants are willing."

I laughed and nodded. "I suppose so." I brought hips lips back to mine. This kiss was just as amazing but didn't last as long. I stepped back and moved towards my front door. "I will see you on Friday, at 12. Right here."

He smiled and nodded. "I won't be late."

"Good."

"Have a good night." He disappeared with a pop.

The smile on my face gave away everything as I walked through the front door. Lily and my mother were waiting for me. Both looked at my smile and flushed cheeks and giggled.

"Someone got a good snog in." Lily laughed and ran over to me. "Just as good as you remember?"

I nodded. "Better."

"Details," she said. "I want details." She dragged me into the kitchen and grabbed me a glass of wine.

For the next hour, my mother and Lily grilled me. Every detail, every little thing that happened. I wasn't so willing to discuss the kiss, but the two of them pushed and pushed until I cracked. They finally let me go to sleep when they were satisfied. And for the first time, in a long time, I had an amazing dream.


	4. The Next Step

**James's POV**

It's was hot in the sun. All of us are breathing heavily and are ready for the training to end. I was looking forward to a cold shower and a cold beer. I ran my fingers through my hair and looked to my left. Coach Butler, was standing in the centre of the pitch talking to Ryan Gribbin, our goalie. They had been chatting for almost five minutes, and I was glad for a minute to catch my breath.

Marcus stopped beside me and smiled. "How did your date go?"

I frowned. No one here knew about my date with Severus. "How did you…?"

He laughed. "You just told me." He leant forward on his broom. "I saw the way you smiled at the picture in the paper. I figured you would find him."

"After a conversation with a friend I knew I had to," I said. It was thanks to Sirius I had found him in the end.

He asked, "Well, how did it go?"

I smiled at the memory of our kiss. "Good. We have another date tomorrow." I was excited to see him again, and hopefully kiss him again.

"Date number two," Marcus smirked and winked. "Good luck."

"Thanks." I laughed.

A couple of our other teammates joined us. The other chaser, George Harrison, stopped on my other side. He said, "Have you two got dates for the gala this year? Or are you going stag again?"

I hadn't had anyone to bring to the gala since my ex. I had invited my mother the year before but she declined. It wasn't something you took your mother to. "No," I said.

Marcus sighed. "I'm tossing up between a few options."

I laughed. "Keeping them open, are we?"

"I can't tie myself down. I'm too young to be a one-woman kind of man," he said.

The boys joined in with my laughter.

"You should ask your boyfriend," he said.

I frowned.

"I thought you didn't have a boyfriend." Michael Frank, one of our beaters, spoke up. "You said the guy in the paper the other day was an accident."

"Well," said Marcus. "Jamie boy here liked kissing him so much that he tracked him down and took him out on a date."

The boys hollered and cheered. "Go, James!"

"You boys need to grow up." Leanne Flanagan, our seeker, smiled at us. "You act like a bunch of hormonal teenagers."

"Just because you wish you were the one dating James."

"Trust me, she doesn't."

Marcus frowned. "Oh please, I've to see her checking you out."

Leanne rolled her eyes. "I like girls, Marcus."

"What?" He looked confused.

The team laughed and I reached over to grip his shoulder. I said, "She likes women the same way you like women."

His face was blank for a moment before he finally understood. "Ohhh," he said.

We all laughed again. He was such a buffoon. Our practice ended as we laughed. Our coach called us in and went over everything we had covered. After a short pep-talk, we were sent to the showers.

I stood under the cool water and thought about what Marcus had said. Should I invite Severus to the gala? I didn't want to rush into our relationship, I wanted to get to know him and for us to trust one another before I threw him into the spotlight. It would be nice to go with someone though. The gala wasn't for another month, and it would give us plenty of time to get to know one another.

I stood in front of my locker, towel around my waist, as Couch Butler and my manager, Philip James, approached me. I smiled as they approached.

"James," said Phil. Phil was a friend of my father's, and when I had been approached by Puddlemere United he had taken me under my wing and helped me along my career. I didn't know where I would be without him.

I hugged Phil. "Keeping my schedule busy?" I asked.

He nodded. "Of course. I hope you have enjoyed your time off. As of next week, I am going to be keeping you busy."

"Don't overwork him now. I need him to be able to play for me." Coach Butler laughed.

"Of course. Wouldn't want our star player to not perform well," said Phil.

"I will be fine." I pulled my shirt from my locker.

"Speaking of appointments." Phil opened his folder. "Don't forget about tomorrow."

I frowned. "tomorrow?"

Phil sighed. "Butterbeer photoshoot. We booked it a month ago."

"Really?"

"Yes. Be here, at 11." He handed me a piece of parchment.

"I can't. I have a date."

"You will be there, James. There is no rescheduling this." He patted my shoulder. "Be there, or I will make Coach Butler here make you cry."

I nodded. "I'll be there." Phil wasn't a man you argued with.

"Good boy."

I had to be at the photo shoot tomorrow at eleven. The shoot would take at least two hours which would make me late my date with Severus. I frowned as I pulled my shirt over my head. It was only our second date and I had to cancel. I felt like such an asshole.

Once I was dressed I knew that to go and see Severus. Hopefully, we could reschedule and he wouldn't be too mad. I apparated and landed softly outside the front of his house. I took a deep breath before I knocked softly, I was so nervous. Were most people nervous when they had to cancel a date?

The door opened but not by Severus. Instead, a woman in her fifties stood there. Her greying hair was tied up in a bun on the top of her head. She was short and had the same eyes as Severus. It had to be his mother.

"Hi," I said. "My name's James. I was looking for Severus."

She smiled at me. "Oh yes, James. I'm Eileen, Severus's mother. Come on in."

I stepped passed her. "Thank you."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, dear. Severus has told us all about you."

"Really?" It was touching that he talked about me already to his family.

Eileen nodded. "Well, as much as he knows. Every time Lily or I bring you up he turns bright red, it's rather amusing."

"Um…Lily?"

"Oh, she is Severus closest friend. Known each other since they were little. She is the one you can thank that he showed up the other night." I followed Eileen through the house and down a section of stairs, into the basement. She knocked twice on the door before swinging it open. "Severus! You have a guest." She stepped around me and said, "Go on in."

"Thank you. And it was nice to meet you, Mrs Snape."

She smiled. "You as well, dear."

I pulled the door shut behind me as I stepped into the potions lab. It reminded me of the Potions classroom at Hogwarts. It was dark and smelled damp. Ingredients lined the walls, all clearly labelled. In the centre of the room stood three different sized cauldrons, Severus stood next to the smallest of them stirring slowly.

I smiled at his appearance. He was dressed in a muggle shirt and shirts. He had on no shoes, and his hair was once again tied back at the nape of his neck. He was just as handsome dressed comfortably, as he was when he dressed up.

He looked up at me and smiled. "This is a surprise."

"A good one I hope." I didn't want him annoyed at me for just showing up.

"A very good one." He picked his wand up and waved it over the cauldron.

I moved closer to him and looked at the blue potion. "What are you making? A love potion perhaps?"

He frowned. "They are illegal, and I have no need for one. I'm working on my final potion for my mastery. You have to create your own potion and present it to be officially named a potions master."

"Well, the colour is pretty." I had no idea what to say. Potions really weren't my thing.

Severus laughed and stepped closer to me. "I'm glad you approve. Anyway, why are you here?"

I sighed. "I am here because I have to cancel our date tomorrow, and I didn't want to do it by post."

His face dropped and he turned away from me. "A post would have been fine." His voice was sharp and angry. "You didn't have to come all the way over here."

I knew he would hate me. "I'm so sorry. My manager reminded me this morning that I signed a contract to do an advertising campaign for Butter Beer. The photoshoot is tomorrow. I can't get out of it."

"No, it's fine."

"Please don't be mad at me. I really want to go on our date."

He shook his head. He hated me, this was what I was afraid of. "You are no different than any other man."

I frowned, confused. What?

"Just because I don't want to have sex with you straight away, doesn't make me a prude!" He shouted at me and nudged me away from him.

What on earth was he going on about?

He smacked the bench with his fist. "Why do all men have to be such assholes? You had me thinking that you were different."

I didn't know what to do. Why was he yelling at me about sex? He stepped towards me like he was going to yell at me some more so I did the one thing I thought of to stop him. I cupped his cheeks and kissed him. He stiffened for a moment before he relaxed against me. I slipped one arm around his waist and held him gently. I tried to get across that I was sorry for whatever I had done.

I pulled back from the kiss. "I'm not cancelling our date because we haven't had sex. I am only doing it because I can't break this contract. I tried, but there is no saying no to my manager."

Severus's frown lessened, but I felt like he didn't believe me.

I kissed the corner of his mouth, and said, "Why don't you come with me?"

"What?" he asked.

"Come with me to the photoshoot. We can go on our picnic afterwards."

He thought about it for a minute and looked down at my chest. "Won't I be in the way?"

"No."

Severus nodded slowly. "Okay, I'll come."

"Good." I lifted his head to look in his eyes. "Can you please explain your little outburst now? I feel like it was more than just me breaking a date that set you off."

He blushed and buried his face in his hands. "I'm sorry. You could say that I haven't had the best luck with men. I've never been in a real relationship before."

"Really?" How had anyone let him escape?

"Really. The longest I have 'dated' someone, is one or two dates. It goes two ways. I sleep with them and they never call again, or I don't sleep with them and they never call again. I just assumed that because you were breaking our date it was because we didn't have sex."

I frowned. "I guess that makes sense. But please know that I don't want that."

"You don't want to have sex with me?"

"No. I do. Trust me, I really do. I'm a healthy young man. But, I don't want to rush into this relationship. I've been burnt before, and I don't want to mess this up."

"Really?" I could hear the disbelief in his voice.

I nodded. "Like any other man, I have had my heart broken by men and women. For different reasons. But with you, I want to get to know you before we make any sort of commitment to one another, or go any further. I want to know that we can trust each other."

He smiled softly. "Me too. I'm sorry about what I said."

"It's alright." I leant my forehead against his, looking into his dark eyes. They were so enchanting.

"There is one thing I want to do though." Severus slipped his hands up my chest. The touch sent tingles throughout my body. His fingers gripped my hair and pulled my face down to his. His lips touched mine and the jolt of electricity sent shivers down my back.

I gripped his hips with my fingers and held him close. I slipped my tongue into his mouth and moaned as he pushed himself against me. God, he tasted so good. Kissing this man was amazing.

I pulled back for a short breath, and said, "I am happy to do this as often as you like."

Severus giggled and pulled me back for another kiss.

I cupped his cute bottom and gave him a gentle squeeze before I lifted him up and sat him on the bench.

He smirked against my mouth and tugged at my hair. "This is much better."

"Definitely."

He moaned against my mouth and bit down on my lip. It pulled a groan out of me.

"Well, this is a wonderful surprise."

I pulled back from the kiss surprised by a new voice.

Severus groaned and turned to look at the woman now standing near the door. She had long red hair and bright green eyes, and she was certainly a sight to behold. She smiled at us. "Having fun?" she asked.

"Yes. What are you doing here?" asked Severus.

"We are meant to be going out for lunch." She crossed her arms over her chest.

Severus blushed. "Oh yeah, I got distracted."

"I see that." She waved at me. "I'm Lily, Sev's B-F-F."

"James, nice to meet you." I didn't let go of Severus. I enjoyed how close he was to me.

Lily smiled and looked me up and down. "Oh, I know who you are Mr James Potter."

I wanted to frown. A fan. Just great.

She bit her lip, and said, "I have a rather nice picture of you in your uniform from last season."

Severus groaned. "Lily. Behave."

Lily laughed and shrugged. "I'm sure woman have said more disturbing things. Plus, I'm a single woman. I can look. I'll leave the touching to you."

I laughed and Severus frowned at me. "Don't encourage her."

"Now, hurry up. I will wait for you upstairs. Again, nice to meet you, James." She turned and walked out of the door.

Severus dropped his head on my shoulder and sighed. "Sorry, about her," he said.

I smiled. "I like her."

"Do you?"

"But I like you better."

Severus smiled. "Good answer."

I leant forward and kissed him again. No tongue, and no roaming hands. "I better get going."

"Okay." He sounded disappointed.

"I will pick you up, here, at quarter to eleven, okay."

He nodded. "I'll be waiting."

I pecked his cheek and helped him off the bench. We walked upstairs, our hands intertwined, and with one more kiss on the doorstep, I apparated back home.

* * *

**Severus's POV**

"You two seem to be getting along well. Are you glad you took my advice?" Lily took a sip of her coffee. She looked at me over the top of her sunglasses. I could see just how pleased she was with herself.

"Yes. Our date was wonderful." I had held back on a few details of our date. The amazing snog out the front of my home had been one such detail.

She winked, and asked, "Did you invite him over for a snog session?"

I frowned. She was so nosy. "No. He came over to cancel our date."

"And that led to a good old snog?"

"No, that was us kind of making up after a small argument." I really didn't want to talk about my blunder. I felt bad enough that I accused James of being like all of the other men. In fact, he had only tried to be kind and tell me face to face. Most men wouldn't even bother saying anything, they just would have stood me up. In only a few days, James was showing me that he was one of those special few that actually cared about the other person.

"What happened?" she asked.

I frowned but admitted what happened. "I made the assumption that he was trying to cancel our date because we didn't have sex."

She nodded. Lily knew about every single bad experience I had with men. She had been there to pick up the pieces of my fragile heart after every man who broke it. "You assumed he was like every man before him. Far enough. Why did he cancel?"

"He has to do a photo shoot for an advertising campaign." It made sense now. He was a famous Quidditch star, of course, he would be modelling for ad campaigns during the offseason.

"I guess that is good as any other reason."

"To make up for it, he invited me to go with him. And then after he is taking me out on a picnic." I smiled when I thought about our plans for the next day.

"That's romantic."

"I feel like I will get in the way though." I didn't want to distract him from his work or get him in trouble.

"If you would be in the way he wouldn't have invited you. And now, you can start showing everyone who he belongs to."

"He doesn't belong to me. We haven't labelled this as anything yet." I wanted to call him my boyfriend, I liked him. But James was right, rushing into something would only hurt us both if it didn't go according to plan.

Lily said, "From what I interrupted today, that boy is smitten with you. His eyes were glued to you. He barely noticed me." She sounded a little annoyed. Lily wasn't used to not being the centre of attention, men and women, wherever we went were always admiring her or approaching her. She would know if someone wasn't paying attention to her.

I asked, "Really?"

She nodded. "Really. He didn't even step away from you. His grip on your ass made it clear that he was marking his territory. You need to do the same thing."

"I don't know where you get all of this crap." I laughed at her. But James did stay close to me. His hands rested around my waist, and he wasn't shy with slipping his hands over my bum when he kissed me.

"Laugh at me now. But by this time tomorrow, you will be showing all of the other girls and boys that he is yours."

"If you say so." I didn't know if she was right, but I wouldn't mind telling everyone that James was with me. But we weren't rushing. I didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

"By the way, if he does hurt you in any way, he should be made aware that I will kill him and make sure no one finds the body."

I rolled my eyes. "You are psychotic."

"Why, thank you." She smiled widely and laughed.

* * *

**James's POV**

I walked through the Floo and into my family home. Every week, my mother insisted that I visit them and have dinner. Sometimes Sirius and Remus joined us, and maybe even soon I would bring Severus to meet them. But there was no rushing. I wanted to do everything right with him. I called out, "Anyone home?"

"We are in here, James." My mother's voice floated from the closest sitting room.

I smiled and stepped through the door. "Hey, mum."

She returned my smile. "Hello, sweetheart."

"Hey bro." I wasn't surprised to see Sirius sitting on Remus's lap in another chair.

I said, "I wasn't aware you two were coming."

"Sirius insisted that we all have dinner together," said Remus.

I snorted and said, "You are really becoming a girl."

Sirius pouted. "Oh, shut up. What's for dinner Mrs P? I'm starved."

We all laughed. "You're always hungry." It was true. He only ever thought about his stomach.

Sirius cupped Remus's chin and kissed his lips softly. "It's because you make me work up an appetite."

I frowned and covered my ears. "Oh, god my ears!" I did not need to hear about anything that he and Remus did.

My mother frowned at Sirius. She said, "Sirius, that is not appropriate conversation."

"Sorry, Mrs P." Sirius smiled apologetically.

"What are you laughing about? I heard you speaking in your sleep this morning. Don't think you are so innocent."

I frowned at Sirius. "What were you doing in my apartment?"

He waved my question away. "That is beside the point. Already having naughty dreams about mystery boy, hey?" He smirked and winked.

"Sirius," I warned. I didn't want to bring Severus up to my folks just yet.

Mum perked up and smiled in my direction. She asked, "Mystery boy? Is there someone you need to tell me about?"

I shook my head. "Ignore him, Mum. Sirius is being a brat." I was going to murder him.

Remus nudged Sirius. "That he is."

Sirius pout fell back in place. "Hey! You're my boyfriend, you are meant to stick up for me."

Remus held his hands up in surrender. "I would, but you make it easier to side with them."

"Some boyfriend you are."

Remus smiled and pulled Sirius flush against his chest. "Good thing, I'm not just your boyfriend then."

I smiled and asked, "You finally asked him?"

"Yes, he did." Remus nodded.

Mum asked, "What did I miss?"

"Sirius asked me to marry him, and I said yes," said Remus.

Mum jumped up from her chair and dashed over towards them. She pulled both of them into a tight hug. "Oh, congratulations boys. That is wonderful news."

"What is with all the celebrating?" My dad walked into the room and sat down in his favourite chair.

I smiled. "Hey, Dad."

"Good to see you, son," he said.

Remus snuggled into Sirius's shoulder and said, "Sirius finally decided to make an honest man out of me."

"Because you were so dishonest before." Sirius joked.

Dad chuckled and said, "Good on you lad, it only took you a few months."

"What is it? Pick on Sirius night?" Sirius crossed his arms across his chest and refused to look at anyone us.

We laughed at his expense as Pinkie, the head house elf popped into the room. She said, "Mrs Potter, dinner is ready."

Mum said, "Thank you, Pinkie. Let's move this into the dining room, shall we?" She moved over to Dad and they linked arms. Even after all of this time, they were so in love.

Watching them together when I grew up, always made me want to fall in love and have a life like theirs. Full of happiness and love. Mum had once told me that she had picked a few bad apples before she found Dad, but when she found him she just knew that he was the one.

Thinking about Severus, I knew that I felt something strong for him, but what it was I didn't know. Was it merely physical attraction? I found him beautiful and when I kissed him I ached for more. I also enjoyed being with him though, and even though we had only had one date, I hadn't experienced a time where I had laughed so much and enjoyed being with one person. I was excited and scared to see where it would all lead to.

We took our seats at the dining table. Mum stood beside Dad and said, "Now, before we eat I would like to say a toast."

Dad sighed and rolled his eyes. He said, "Euphemia, this is not a wedding."

Mum smiled and hushed him. "Oh, hush you. I would like to congratulate Sirius and Remus on their engagement." She raised her glass. "We all are so excited and cannot wait for the beautiful children you two will have. They will be the closest thing to grandbabies that I will ever get."

I frowned at her and took a sip of my wine. "Mother."

She returned my frown. It was the same frown she had used when I was growing up and she wanted me to take what she was saying seriously. "Don't give me that look," she said, "You haven't dated anyone in over a year."

Sirius jumped in and said, "Don't worry, Mrs P. He isn't as single as he appears."

"So, there is someone?" Mum looked excited.

I glared at him. "Thanks, mate."

"No worries." He wiggled his eyebrows and took a sip of his own wine. He almost choked when Remus smacked the back of his head.

"Who is she?" Mum asked.

I sighed. There was no way of avoiding it now. Giving Mum something now would hopefully stop her interrogation later on. "His name is Severus, and it's still new. I didn't want to say anything in case it doesn't work out."

"Well, what is he like?" Mum pushed me for an answer.

I asked, "Do we have to discuss this now?"

"Yes," said Mum.

"No," said Dad.

Mum turned to Dad and said, "Fleamont, I need to know all about him."

"My dear, if James doesn't wish to divulge about his new partner, then he doesn't have to. Besides, I'm sure we will meet him soon enough." I wanted to kiss my dad. He was the best. I smiled at him and he returned it. My old man always had my back.

Mum pouted and dropped into her seat. "Fine. Ruin my fun."

Dad and I laughed at her. My family always managed to put a smile on my face, just like Severus. Every time I saw him I couldn't help but smile. I couldn't wait to see him again.


	5. Claiming What's Mine

**Severus's POV**

My sleep hadn't been easy. All night I had been tormented by deep desires that I had suppressed for so many years. It had been three years since I had sex, and less than a week since James woke up that side of me. I had woken up three times, my member harder than I ever thought possible. A cold shower helped the first time. Horrible images helped the second time. But only dirty, wonderful thoughts of James taking me against the bench down in the potions lab calmed me enough to allow me to finally sleep until morning.

I was graced with another surprise as I woke up to my mother knocking on the door. I was twenty-one; having my mother walk into my room and discover me with a certain condition was not what I wanted.

She didn't enter but told me through a crack in the door that my breakfast was waiting for me in the kitchen. She would have waited but had an appointment. She told me she loved me before closing the door.

I sighed in relief and stumbled out of bed and into the shower. I allowed the warm water to relax my body and wrapped my hand around my base. I thought of James and his gentle touches. I imagined that it was his hand wrapped around me, not my own. I could feel the breath on my neck as he placed kisses across my shoulders. It took only moments for me to groan out James's name and coat the tiled wall.

I finished the rest of my shower and stood naked in front of my cupboard. Looking over the few clothes I had, I decided on my favourite pair of tight black jeans, a loose grey t-shirt that hung off my torso-Lily had told me that it suited me-and a pair of black combat boots. It wasn't cold so I didn't worry about a jacket. I grabbed a hair tie from my bathroom and tied up my hair, James had said that he liked my hair tied back. Looking at myself in the mirror, I smiled. For the first time, in a long time, I liked what I saw.

Downstairs I found my breakfast under a stasis spell. It was hot and fresh, ready to eat. I dove into the stack of pancakes and a large cup of black coffee. As I ate, I flipped through a potions magazine and a letter from my potions master.

He was reminding me of my upcoming presentation. He wanted to go over everything before I spoke to the council of masters. My potion wasn't ready, I was still missing something, but I would work it out.

The knock on my door surprised me. No one else was expected, no one but James, but it was barely nine o'clock. I opened the door and there is his perfectly tailored robe, with his perfectly straight blonde hair was Lucius Malfoy.

I had known Lucius since our years in Hogwarts. He was two years above me and when I first started at school he had taken me under his wing. He was like the older brother I had never had. He kept me safe when he could. In my fifth year, his seventh, we started a sexual relationship. It was all about satisfying a need that we both had, and I got to lose my virginity with a man I trusted.

Throughout the year, we had sex at least once a day. In empty classrooms, our dormitory's, outside beside the black lake, the forbidden forest, empty corridors. He fucked me in every place you can think of, and most of the time I enjoyed it. Most of the time. There were multiple occasions where he had been too rough or he left me unsatisfied and the only way for me to finish was to jack myself off.

By the end of the year I didn't want to be with him like that anymore, and when Lily found out what I was doing she demanded that I end it. He took the end of it rather well and agreed that it was for the best.

I had barely heard from him beside the occasional letter, which consisted of him gloating about his privileged life. I had never bothered to respond to them unless they contained an invitation and then the response was short and consisted of a short 'Thanks but no thanks'.

I kept my surprise hidden and said, "Lucius. What are you doing here?"

He smiled and stepped past me into my house. "It is good to see you, Severus."

Being polite, I said, "You as well. How are Narcissa and Draco?"

He smiled and looked up and down the hallway. "Well. Draco looks more and more like me every day."

I asked, "What can I do for you today?"

He frowned at the appearance of my house. He ran his finger along a counter and shook his head. "How do you live in such a place? Do you not feel cramped?"

"I'm used to it." I crossed my arms over my chest. Had he come just so he could insult me?

He held his hands behind his back, and said, "You should use your magic to make it feel bigger. Your guests must feel claustrophobic when they enter."

"We don't have many guests," I said.

"I'm not surprised."

"What do you want Lucius?" I asked again.

He smiled softly and stepped closer to me. "Okay, I guess we will skip the small talk."

"That would be preferred."

He said, "Narcissa and I only married because it was desired by our families. We have completed our task and have a healthy male heir that will continue on the Malfoy line. Now, Narcissa and I plan to stay married but have no wish to have a sexual or romantic relationship in any way. In the eyes of the public we will act like we are happy, but behind closed doors, we can just be friends."

I frowned. "What has this got to do with me?" I have nothing to do with this man's life.

He took another step closer and looked down at me.

I had forgotten how he was always towering over me. He wasn't like James though. I felt safe when he looked down at me. But Lucius made me shiver.

He said, "I am a man that has needs. Narcissa is having her needs taken care of by some other wizard, and I need someone who will satisfy me but won't blurt it out to wizard society."

I stepped away and shook my head. "No." I was not going to be his sex toy again.

He pouted. "We had such fun at Hogwarts, remember? One night in particular, that I remember fondly, was in the Forbidden Forest. You on your hands and knees as I took you from behind. We almost go caught because of how vocal you are." He chuckled and stepped closer. One of his hands reached up to touch my face.

I slapped his hand away from me. "I have no desire to have that kind of relationship with you."

He frowned. "You can't be getting that kind of pleasure from anyone else. You would want you."

I stepped away from him. "Not that it's any of your business but I am seeing someone. I don't need you."

Laughing, he said, "Who is he then? What is his name?"

"None of your business."

He snorted. "Is he even real? Or are you embarrassed? I won't judge you if you haven't had sex since our last time. Remember, on the floor of the common room. You moaned like such a little whore."

I huffed and turned away from him. "I'm not lying. I just don't want you to ruin it."

"I'm not sure I believe you. Maybe you should let me remind you how much you enjoyed my cock in your ass." He stepped closer and pushed me against the wall. His lips ran across my ears. "I will make you remember who you belong to."

I shoved him off me. "I don't belong to anyone."

He smirked. "Of course you do."

"No, I don't. Now leave."

"Oh come on, Severus. If your lucky, I'll let you fuck my mouth."

I stepped away from him. "I said leave!"

He sighed. "I'll go. But, I will be back. You might not want to admit it but you belong to me." He walked around me and over to the door. He pulled it open and said, "I'll see you soon, Severus."

I glared at the door as it closed. I stood there for some time but couldn't shake off the feeling of his hands on me. My body shivered. The last time that we had been together wasn't willing. It had been a month since I stopped our relationship. Avoiding him had been easier than I expected, sending most of my free time in the library or hiding in places around the castle that he didn't go near. But our last night at Hogwarts I had been in the library, just reading, until just before curfew. I had been the last Slytherin to enter the common room, and the last one awake. Or so I had thought.

Lucius appeared out of nowhere and forced me to the ground. The cold floor of the dungeon left nasty purple bruises on my palms and knees. He left finger's had left nasty bruises on my thighs and stomach, around my wrists. He had also covered my neck and chest in bite marks. He had been so rough that he didn't even bother to stretch me before he fucked me, twice, into the ground.

When he was finished, he had laughed and left me naked in the middle of the floor. I, somehow, made it into my room before someone else found me. I didn't need to be humiliated any further.

It had taken me almost two years before I could stand to be touched by anyone other than Lily. It had taken her months to get the truth out of me. I imagined that if Lucius had returned to Hogwarts the following year, she would have actually murdered him.

I made my way back into the kitchen and sat down at the table. I picked up my coffee and frowned. I was still shaking. I thought that I had dealt with my fears of him and what he had done. I didn't think he would affect me anymore, but he did. I didn't move from the kitchen table.

Not until there was another a knock at the door at 11. It was a softer knock, different from Lucius. I looked at the time and smiled. It had to be James.

I pulled the door open and smiled. It was. James stood before me in a pair of blue jeans and a plain white polo. He looked good like always.

He smiled and said, "Good morning."

I couldn't help but return his smile. "Morning."

"Are you ready to go?"

I nodded. "There is something that I need first."

"What?"

I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him closer. Our lips touched and all of my morning's stress seemed to fade away. My body melted into his soft touches, and I moaned as his tongue moved against mine. He was so good at kissing.

He pulled back but didn't let me go. "I could get used to that."

I giggled. It was such a girly reaction but I couldn't help it. "Me too." I kissed him again and allowed myself to relax. Lucius couldn't hurt me, he had no hold over me. I had James, and that was all that mattered.

He squeezed my waist and pulled back. "I want to continue but if we don't go now, I will be late. I'm already running late."

I nodded. "Okay, let's go."

We stepped out of the door and with a wave locked the door.

James kept his arms around my waist and we apparated across town and landed outside of a large old building. On the side, in big bold letters, it read 'The Magical Family Experience.' The biggest magical advertising company in the world. I wasn't surprised that they were doing the campaign for Butter Beers new flavour.

James sighed. "I hate these things."

"Why?" I asked.

"As hard as it is to believe, I don't like having my photo taken. I always feel awkward."

I wanted to laugh. James Potter, big Quidditch superstar didn't like his picture taken. Who would have thought? "It is hard to believe," I said. "If it helps, just think about something that makes you happy. It will make you smile more real."

He frowned. "How do you know that?"

I sighed. "Lily always told me to do it when we were younger. She always told me that I never smiled enough and it was why people thought I was weird. Really I just didn't think there was a good enough reason to smile. However, if I forced a smile it always looked horribly awkward."

"I can't imagine you not smiling."

I frowned. "Does this help?"

He laughed and leant in so our lips were almost touching. "You are always smiling when I see you."

"Because you make me happy."

His smile widened. "I think your smile is beautiful."

I blushed and dipped my head.

He kissed my forehead. "Don't hide from me." He pulled my chin up and he kissed me. It was short and simple but sent tingles throughout my body.

"JAMES POTTER! YOU ARE LATE!" The loud shout startled me and I jumped away from James.

James frowned and grabbed my hand before I got too far. He looked over at the man who was stalking towards us. "Good morning, Philip. How are you?"

"Don't try and ignore the fact that you are late."

"I'm sorry. Philip this is Severus, Severus this is my manager, Philip."

Philip smiled softly at me. "Pleasure to meet you, Severus." He glared at James. "Get your ass inside, now. You have ten minutes to get ready."

James saluted him. "Yes, sir."

We followed Philip into the building and I was astounded by what I saw. There were people everywhere. All of them were running around doing their jobs. We walked down a long corridor before Philip swiped a card and we entered into a big open room. The room was full of lights and stands, camera equipment, and people. There had to be at least thirty people moving about.

A young woman, same age as James and I, smiled at James. "It is so good to see you, James." She cupped his face and kissed both of his cheeks.

James smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. I saw more annoyance than anything else. "Hello, Helen."

The woman had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a very curved body. It was a typical body that a model would have. "I'm so glad that we can work together again. The last time was so much fun."

James nodded.

Philip saved him from the awkward conversation and said, "James. Hair and make-up, now. Severus can go with you."

James nodded. His hand still firmly gripping mine, he led me through the room and over to two women who had large cases of make-up.

James sat down in the chair and smiled at me. "Never thought that being a Quidditch player would lead me to wear make-up."

I smirked and laughed. "No, it isn't what you would normally expect. But, you look good."

One woman powdered his face, and the other added wax to his hair. They finished quickly and then handed him a pair of swimming shorts. He sighed and stood up. "Stay here," he said, "I just need to change."

I nodded.

He smiled softly and pecked my lips. Turning away, I watched as he entered the bathroom not far away.

I turned to watch as the people around me ran around doing their jobs. I tried to stay out of their way and apologised when I was. I was a little overwhelmed with what I was experiencing. I had spent most of my life in a potions lab studying to achieve my goals. James had spent the last few years of his life in the spotlight, playing sport and having hundreds of people fall in love with him. And now, he was going to be plastered on billboards and in newspapers and magazines for an advertisement. How was I so lucky to catch his attention? Someone who looked like me?

A gently tap on my shoulder surprised me. I turned around and came face to face with the blonde model from before. Helen? If I remembered correctly.

"Hi," she said, "You came in with James, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Are you a friend of his?"

I nodded again. "Something like that." I didn't want to call him my boyfriend. I didn't know if that is what we were, we hadn't discussed it yet.

She asked, "Are you like his boyfriend or just friends with benefits? Because the way you were latched onto him makes it look like you aren't just friends."

"I suppose you could say we are seeing each other. It's still new, so we haven't really labelled it."

"Really?" She frowned. She looked me up and down and crossed her arms over her chest. The gesture pushed up her breasts and made them almost fall out of the bikini top that she had on. "Well, I think I should tell you then that James and I have a history."

I frowned. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. We were pretty heavy when it first started. Having sex anywhere and everywhere. We broke up though after the distant made it to hard."

I didn't know what to say. It was clear she was trying to make me feel threatened. The only result was to annoy me and make me feel sorry for her. She clearly had low self-esteem.

"Helen! Get on set now." A man's voice caused her to spin around.

"Coming," she said. She forced a smile and walked away.

"Whatever she told you, don't listen." Philip appeared beside me.

"What?" I said.

He sighed and lowered his voice. "Helen has a bit of an obsession when it comes to James. He took her on one date and then suddenly she was telling anyone who would listen that they were in love and that she was going to have his baby. It ended badly. James hates working with her."

"Why did he agree to this then?" I asked.

"We didn't." I could see Philip didn't like the situation. "It was a last minute change because the original model got knocked up. She is now showing and didn't want to do the shoot. Helen was the only one, that fulfilled their prerequisites of the roll."

"Then why didn't you give me a little warning?" James walked up beside me. He was dressed in nothing but the swimming shorts. I had to keep my mouth closed otherwise it would have hit the floor. He looked so good.

Philip frowned. "I only found out when I arrived this morning."

James sighed. "You still could have let me know before we came in."

Philip raised his eyebrows and placed his hands on his hips. "And you could not have taken her out on a pity date in the first place."

"Do I need to put you two in the naughty corner or can you play nice?" I asked, adding a gentle frown.

James chuckled and slid his arm around my waist. "You think you are so funny?"

"I know I am."

He smiled and kissed my cheek.

"Potter! We are waiting on you." The voice that called Helen before shouted out.

James sighed. "Here goes nothing."

"Have fun!" I said.

He rolled his eyes. "I doubt it."

I watched him walk over to where Helen stood with the photographer. Helen smiled at him and looped her arm around him. James stepped away and tried to keep a smile on his face.

Throughout the shoot, I watched as James was told to hold Helen this way and that way. He was forced to deal with her kissing his cheek, and holding her against him. I could see how with every movement, she would brush her fingers over him, push her breasts towards him. It was a desperate attempt at seduction and it set off an emotion I hadn't dealt with before.

Anger and jealousy, of all things, bubbled within me. I want to tear Helen's head from her body and feed it to a werewolf. I wanted her away from James. I didn't want anyone to touch him but me.

When it was finally over I moved towards James. He looked at me with relief and smiled at me. I wrapped my hands around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. A kiss that was showing Helen, and everyone else, that James was mine. I pushed my tongue into his mouth and gripped the ends of his hair. I pulled his body against mine. I could feel his hands holding me close. He moaned against my mouth and gripped my hips. My body burned with want and need, and I felt hot. Incredible hot.

I pulled back from the kiss and blushed as I noticed that more than a few people were watching us. Helen was glaring at me with fury in her eyes, and others had their mouths open in shock. I looked at James's eyes and was pleasantly surprised to see the same desire I felt in them.

The grip he had on my waist didn't waver and I could feel the friend I had awoken against my leg. He pulled me in for another kiss. It was shorter than the last but filled with want and desire.

I pulled back and said, "Maybe you should get changed. Then we can go on our picnic."

James nodded and loosened his grip. "I'll go do that." His voice was low and husky. "Don't...go...anywhere..."

I nodded and bit my lip.

He smiled and slowly backed away from me.

My mood was soured once again when Helen walked over to me. She glared at me. "You might be getting to shove your tongue down at his throat at the moment, but once James realises how much he misses me he will forget all about you."

I snorted. "I'm sure James knows what he wants. If he desires you so much, why is he wasting his time on me?"

"He needs something to distract himself from his broken heart." She frowned.

I laughed. "Yeah, okay."

She huffed and walked away from me. I was glad to watch her go and I would be happy to never have to see her again.

Once James was dressed we said goodbye to Philip and he apparated us to his apartment first. He showered and left me to snoop through his place. I gave myself a tour and looked at the photos of his family and friends, and smiled at the silly photo of him and his closest friends. There was one of him, his friends Sirius and Remus-who he told me were a couple-and another young man. They were all smiling and wearing their graduation outfits, all of them smiling. James had never mentioned a fourth friend. He had told me all about Sirius and Remus, but never the other. I didn't want to overstep my bounds and ask but I was curious.

The photos of him with his mother and father made me smile. His parents looked happy and extremely proud of their son. There were photos of him as a kid and current photos. He had been such a cute kid.

I walked down the hall and once again found a picture of James with the unnamed boy. I picked up and the frame and admired it. James was laughing and had his arm wrapped around the boy's next. They were in their school uniforms. The boy had an embarrassed smile but looked happy.

"His name was Peter." I jumped at James's voice.

I turned around to face him. "Was?"

James smiled sadly. "He died a few weeks after we graduated from Hogwarts."

"I'm so sorry," I said.

"It's alright." He took the frame and smiled at it. "He was one of our best friends. He was shy and liked to follow me around. It never bothered me, I found it endearing that he wanted to spend all his time with me."

I said, "He had feelings for you." It wasn't a question.

James nodded. "I had no idea about it. I was so oblivious, wrapped up in my own little world and was busy chasing girls around. After graduation, he admitted his feelings to me while we were drunk. He kissed me. I laughed at him and pushed him away. I thought he was joking around." He stroked the image. "I didn't see him for two weeks and stupid me thought it was because we were both busy. I ended up finding him in his bed. He hadn't been there long, his body was still warm."

"He killed himself?"

James nodded. "Because of me." Tears slipped from his eyes.

I took the photo from his hands and placed it back in its spot. I wrapped my arms around his neck. "You aren't to blame. Not for something like this."

"Yes, I am. If I hadn't laughed at him, and teased him about it, he wouldn't have killed himself." The tears slid down his cheeks. The pain in his eyes was still raw. I wanted to take the pain away. Someone as kind as him wasn't to blame for something so sad.

I asked, "Did he leave a note?"

James nodded.

"Did you read it?"

He nodded again.

"What did it say?"

James took a deep breath. "That is wasn't anyone's fault. That he just couldn't deal with all of the pressures he had in life, that he hated feeling sad all the time. He just wanted peace."

I frowned. "How is your fault then?" It didn't seem like Peter blamed James for anything. Why did he feel so guilty?

James tried to pull away from me. "Because I laughed at him. Rejected him."

I kept my grip around his neck firm and pulled him even closer. I leant our foreheads together and said, "He wasn't sad because you rejected him. He spent his whole life being with you, maybe not that way."

"Then why did he kill himself after he told me?" He shook his head.

I said, "He probably wanted to tell you the truth before he ended everything. He wanted you to know that he loved you before he died. If I wanted to kill myself I would want to tell all the people that I loved that I loved them. I wouldn't want to lie anymore."

James took a deep breath. I wiped away the tears and hugged him against my chest. I leant my cheek on his damp hair and hoped that he believed me. He shouldn't blame himself for something like this. I could see how much it had affected him, the pressure of all this guilt that he didn't deserve was weighing down on him.

"It makes sense I suppose."

He didn't believe me. It was obvious in his voice. It was clear though that he wasn't ready to accept anything. He hadn't dealt with the issue of losing his friend. I wasn't going to push him. I had no right to tell him how he was supposed to feel. I didn't know Peter, and I never would, so how was I suppose to reassure him that his friend didn't blame him.

I kissed the corner of his mouth and said, "Do you still want to go on our picnic?"

He nodded.

"Are you sure?"

"I want to spend the afternoon, lounging around with you in the sun. I don't want this to put a damper on our day." He squeezed my waist. "Unless you don't want to go."

I smiled softly. "I do."

He smiled. The pain in his eyes slowly fading. "I was a little worried that Helen was going to scare you off."

I smirked. "Don't give that bimbo so much credit. It takes a lot more than a pout and a hand on the hip to scare me away."

"Good," he said.

James apparated us to the middle of nowhere, it wasn't really nowhere, but we sat underneath the shade of a large oak tree in the middle of a large open field. There were very few houses to see, and it was peaceful. The only sounds around we birds and the wind.

It was wonderful sitting side by side, sharing fruit and a bottle of wine. We exchanged a few kisses here and there, and I made sure to keep the conversation light.

I was full of grapes and wine by three o'clock. The air was beginning to cool, but as I lay cuddle in James's side I didn't want the day to end. Cupping his cheek I pulled his lips to mine and allowed our tongues to meet in a slow dance. He ran his fingers along my arm, my back, and over my bum. He moved his lips from mine to my chin. I let him gently move them across my skin, sending shivers through me, down my throat to my shoulder. I moaned loudly as he nibbled at my bare skin.

I slid my fingers below the hem of his shirt and smiled at him. "What are we, James?"

His lips didn't leave my skin. "What do you mean?" His lips slid back up my throat to my ear.

"Is there a label that could define us?" I gasped as he bit down on my lobe.

His hand palmed my but cheek and pushed my body against his. "I would hope that you would consider me more than a friend."

I nodded, struggling to form words. "Definitely." I moaned again.

He smiled into my throat. "I would be extremely happy if you called me your boyfriend."

Happiness bubbled inside. "Boyfriend?"

He nodded. "I really, really like you, Sev."

I smiled at the nickname. "I really, really like you too."

He kissed my lips and pushed his body against me. His friend, who was alert and straining against his pants, rubbed against my own.

I gasped into the kiss. I wanted more but I could feel the fear in the pit of my stomach. I knew I wasn't ready. "James." His name slipped from my lips in a moan as he rocked against me. "I'm not ready for this."

He nuzzled my neck and pulled back. His hands were still wrapped around my waist, and his lips gently kissed my skin. But he allowed space between us from our waist down. "I'm sorry."

I brought his face up to look him in the eye and smiled. "Don't be," I said.

"We agreed to take this slow and here I am, practical humping you."

I wanted to giggle at the word hump. Was that really how it appeared? "I liked it, I really did if you couldn't tell. You weren't the only one who wanted it."

"Still, we made a deal."

"Hormones can get the best of anyone."

He sighed and rolled onto his back.

I curled into his side. "Maybe we should both learnt some restraint. Just for now."

He nodded. "Good plan."

I kissed his chin. "It felt good though." I didn't want him to think that I didn't want him. I did. My member was rock hard and aching for friction of some sort.

"I think I should take you home." He sat up and pulled his wand from his pocket. Holding out his hand, I took it, and he pulled me to my feet. His arm wrapped around my waist and smiled at me. "Before I lose control and do what I really want to do with you." He kissed my lips.

"Okay," I said.

He waved his wand and the picnic packed itself up before he apparated me home.

We stood on my doorstep, our lips locked, our hands roaming again. I just couldn't get enough of him. I laughed as we stumbled and used the door to catch us.

"I can't get enough of you," said James.

I blushed and kissed him again.

"That reminds me," he said, "Next month, just before the season starts, the BIQL host a big gala every year to open the season and as a player, I am required to attend. I was hoping that you would be my date."

I smiled. He wanted me by his side for everyone to see. "You want to take me?"

He nodded. "Yes. It's a big fancy dinner with dancing. It has an open bar so you can drink as much as you like."

It sounded fun. I would be able to meet James's teammates. I frowned when I realised I knew nothing about Quidditch.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't know a thing about Quidditch." It was a little embarrassing.

He chuckled. "I'll teach you everything you need to know. No one will know your secret."

I shook my head. It was ridiculous that I was embarrassed about not understanding the sport. Many people didn't like sport, it wasn't unusual.

"I better go," he said.

I nodded but didn't let go of him. I didn't want him to leave. Pulling him in for another kiss, I deepened it as much as I could before the door opened and we stumbled backwards. James stopped me from falling and I blushed bright red when I spotted my mother.

She smirked and said, "Hello James, Severus."

I smiled awkwardly. "Hi, Mum." What was it with the girls in my life catching me lip locked with James.

"Hello, Mrs Snape." James gets his tight grip around my waist.

"I just wanted to ask, before you ran off if maybe you would like to stay for dinner. Unless you already have plans?"

I wanted to jump excited and beg him to stay. More time with James wasn't something that I was going to complain about.

He smiled and nodded. "I would love too."

Mum smiled. "Excellent. When you two are ready to come on inside. I should have dinner ready in a few hours. I hope you like roast, James."

"Yes, ma'am, I do." James smiled down at me.

Once she disappeared down the hall I said to James, "We can go and hide in my room until dinner." I grasped his hand and pulled him inside.

He smirked and said, "What are you going to do to me in your bedroom? Tie me up?"

I frowned and smacked his chest. "Behave."

He chuckled and pulled me in for another kiss.


	6. Anniversaries

**James's POV**

The last two weeks had been wonderful. I could officially call Severus my boyfriend. The season was shaping up to be a good one. Sirius and Remus were planning their wedding. Everything was going well. I felt completely happy for the first time in four years.

Waking up alone in my bed, I couldn't wait until I could wake up with Severus beside me. It brought a smile to my face as I thought about how I would open my eyes and see his bare body beside me, his peaceful sleeping face. I knew it would be a few months maybe before we got even close to that. Neither of us was ready for the kind of step, no matter how much I desired him, I wanted to take things slow. The need to trust him completely outweighed anything else.

Trust was a struggle with me. Introducing Severus to my family and friends would be allowing him insight to my life that I hadn't given anyone in a long time. Not since my ex.

I gave four years of my life to a woman that I thought loved me. I trusted her and told her things that you trusted the person you loved with. Having my secrets told to the press didn't only leave me vulnerable but that much more heartbroken when my ex admitted to not really caring about me, she only saw dollar signs when she looked at me.

To say that our break up was messy was a very accurate description. Reports hassled me non-stop about the sudden break-up. My ex told her side to everyone, there were multiple versions. I cheated on her, I broke her heart, I beat her. I was made out to be the worst man possible until a reporter with a guilty conscious told the truth.

It had taken me a whole year to get over the betrayal before I even attempted to go out on a date. The first few were awkward and ended badly. Severus was the first person who gave me the feeling of butterflies in my stomach. He made me smile and laugh like no one else ever had. He made me happy.

I had even told him about Peter. I didn't mean to, it just all slipped out. He had acted so caring and loving, that it made me melt and want to be closer to him. It made me want to trust him.

Sirius had mouthed similar doubts that I already had; the first time we met he had slapped me and told me he wasn't interested, the second time he knew who I was and agreed to go out with me. I admit that the thought had occurred to me, but it couldn't be true. I didn't want to be true. Sirius had promised to look into him and find out about his past, I told him not to. I wanted Severus to tell me about his past himself, just like I would when we trusted each other.

Climbing out of my bed I stretched and looked at the picture of us Marauders on the wall. We were all making stupid facing while hugging one another. It had been the day before our graduation, during a party in the common room. One of the other Gryffindor girls had taken the picture. When I had moved into my apartment, Peter had been the one to hang it in my room saying 'now the Marauders would always be watching over me'. I wanted to take it down after he died, it was too hard to look at him. But Sirius had used a sticking spell, it would never be able to come off the wall unless Sirius unstuck it. I had been forced to look at him, and in the end, I was glad that it was still there.

I smiled and made my way out into the kitchen, waving my wand, the coffee pot filled itself with fresh hot coffee and then poured itself into a mug. I took a large gulp and ran my fingers through my hair.

My owl, Gumbo, flew through my window and landed on the table with my mail. I handed him a treat and grabbed the copy of the Daily Prophet. I looked at the date and frowned. It had come again so soon. Seven years since Peter had died. I hadn't even noticed the date growing closer, normally I would be counting down the days.

I would need to stop by the florist before I made my way to Darkwell to visit Peter and his mother. I finished my coffee and took my time to shower and dress, dressing up a little. I wore a pair of black jeans with nice dress boots, a button up, and a long coat.

I apparated to Darkwell just after ten and landed outside of the local florist. I was glad that Darkwell was a magical village and I didn't have to worry about exposure, because as I landed the owner of the florist jumped and frowned at me.

He said, "You young wizards just pop around and land wherever you want. Don't have a care who you scare."

I said, "Apologies. I am in a little bit of a hurry."

He huffed. "Aren't you all. Can I get something for you?"

"A dozen white roses, please."

"White roses? Did you lose someone?" he asked.

I nodded. "Long time ago, today is the anniversary."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

"I'll be right back with your roses." He turned and walked back inside.

I waited by the door and watched as the village began to come alive. The other stores around the square were opening up, and more and more people were appearing in the streets. The bakery across the road had its doors and windows open, the smell of fresh goods flooded my senses. The wand shops windows suddenly swelled with light and you could see the worker wiping down the counter. Even the fountain in the middle of the square splashed to life. Darkwell was a rather beautiful town, but it wasn't a place I liked to visit.

The door of the florist swung open and the owner held the roses in his hand.

"How much do I owe you?" I asked.

He shook his head. "On the house. Take it as an apology for my grumpiness before."

"No, let me pay. Please."

The old man frowned. "No. Now get going." He pushed the flowers into my hands and walked back inside.

I smiled down at the bunch before making my way down the street. I watched the people carefully as I made my way to Darkwell Cemetary. It would be quiet, the same as every year, and the flowers would be in bloom. If it wasn't a graveyard, I would call it beautiful.

I walked through the gate and wasn't surprised to see two people already standing in front of Peter's grave. Sirius was standing behind Remus who was kneeling.

I smiled and approached my friends. "You beat me here for a change."

Sirius and Remus turned to look at me. Both of had sad smiles on their face. Sirius opened his arms and pulled me in for a hug. "We thought we'd missed you."

I hugged him, and said, "I actually forgot about the date."

Remus frowned. "Wow. Severus really has captivated your whole life."

I blushed. "Yeah. He kind of has." I smiled thinking of Severus.

"Have you told him about today?" asked Sirius.

I nodded slowly. "He knows about Peter, but not about today."

"You must really trust him," said Remus

I shrugged. "I don't really know. But I feel like the more I get to know him, the more I want to tell him. The more I want to trust him."

Remus smiled. "That's good."

Sirius said, "It's good to see that you are moving on from her."

Remus asked, "How about that? Does Severus know about her?"

I sighed and moved past them to stand in front of Peter's grave. Two bunches of white roses were already at its base. I laid my down and said, "He knows I've been hurt but not what happened and to what extent."

Sirius said, "Maybe you should open up to him about it."

I shook my head. "I don't think I'm ready to open that can of worms."

Sirius stepped up beside me and grasped my shoulder. "It's been four years, James. If you aren't ready now then you will never be."

I looked at him. "I'm not scared to tell him the truth, but I want to get to know him better before I tell him everything about me." I know he was worried about me being alone, especially on days like today.

Remus stood on my other side and said, "Sirius, don't push him. It's his relationship, not yours."

Sirius sighed. "I'm not trying too. I just want you to be happy."

I knelt down and ran my fingers over the engraving. "Today isn't the day for this. Let's focus on Pete."

Remus and Sirius nodded.

Remus said, "We will give you a minute alone."

I nodded my thanks and felt tears begin to gather in my eyes. The guilt I felt for Peter's death was the worst thing I ever experienced. Everyone had reassured me again and again that I wasn't to blame. Even Peter's mother had begged me not to blame myself for something I couldn't control, she had even given me Peter's letter that explained everything to make sure that my conscience was clean. But even after all these years, I had never read it. I was scared of two things, one opening the letter and seeing that I really was the reason for him killing himself, or two, I wasn't the reason and that meant that I didn't know my friend as well as I should have, that even though he was one of my best friends I couldn't make him happy enough to want to stay. Either way broke my heart.

I took a deep breath and wiped a tear from my cheek. "Hey, Pete." I closed my eyes and tried to stop the tears. "I miss you, buddy. Miss having my little shadow." I never knew if he could hear me, but I liked to believe that he could. "Things are good at the moment. New seasons coming up, and we are confident that we are going to win this one. And we have the world finals coming up too at the end of the year, coach has already told me that I'm a shoe-in for the English team. I met someone too. His name is Severus. He's a potions apprentice and we actually went to school with him, he was a few years below us. I think you would have liked him. He has this sarcastic sense of humour that I just love. And he makes me happy, really happy. I wish you could have been here to meet him."

I stayed at Peter's grave for some time. I told him anything I could think of, but I seemed to keep bringing up Severus. As I talked about him, I wanted him with me. Holding my hand or hugging me. I missed him. For a moment, I thought he appeared beside me. I felt a warm hand touch my shoulder, but it was Remus. It was time to leave. I could have spent all day sitting in front of that grave but I didn't, we had one stop to make.

Remus, Sirius and I walked along the cobblestoned streets all the way till the very end. The last house on the end of the street was Pettigrew Cottage. It was the house Peter was born and died in, same with his father before him, and his grandfather before that. It was a quaint little home that was bigger on the inside, thanks to undetectable extension charms, but it always brought back bad memories for me.

Sirius was the one who knocked. We waited patiently until old Mrs Pettigrew, Peter's mother, opened the door. She smiled at us. "I was wondering when you three would get here. It is so good to see you all." She reached up, grabbing Sirius's cheeks first and kissing him on the head. She did the same to Remus and I, before leading us inside and through the house to the large sitting room.

The walls were lined with photos of all generations of the Pettigrew family. Peter was all over the walls with family, his parents, and even us. He was always smiling in every photo, you would never have known how sad he really was.

In the sitting room, Mrs Pettigrew had laid out fresh baked goods and tea. It was all ready and waiting for us. Mrs Pettigrew sat down and waved her wand, the teapot floated up and served us all a fresh piping hot cup.

She asked, "Have you been down to see Peter yet?"

We all nodded.

Remus said, "We laid some flowers down, and we saw that you beat us to the punch."

She sighed. "Well, I have trouble sleeping these days so I was up early and thought there was no point in wasting time. I also made sure to get some of my favourite treats from the bakery."

"They are wonderful," said Remus.

Mrs Pettigrew said, "So, what has been going on in your lives? Tell me everything."

Remus shifted in his seat and said, "Well, Sirius and I are getting married."

She smiled and clapped her hands in excitement. "Oh, that's absolutely wonderful to hear. I'm surprised it has taken you this long."

Remus chuckled. "Sirius was nervous about asking me."

Sirius smiled softly and said, "I knew that he would say yes, but I didn't want to screw up the proposal. He deserved the best."

She reached over and squeezed Sirius's hand. "That is so sweet. I remember when my dear husband proposed to me. We were walking along some beach in Scotland, the weather was terrible, but we didn't care. He was so nervous that he dropped the ring in the water. We both ended up soaked trying to find. How did you ask him?"

Sirius said, "We went out for a ride on my motorbike, and I ask him as we were flying over the middle of London."

"Wow, how romantic," she said.

Remus frowned. "We almost crashed into Big Ben."

"That was your fault. You initiated the kiss." Sirius huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Oh, you two already sound like a married couple." Mrs Pettigrew chuckled. "How about you, James, dear. Any lucky lady in your life?"

I smiled and looked at my cup of tea.

"He found a lucky man," said Sirius, "he is completely smitten."

I didn't bother denying it.

Mrs Pettigrew smiled. "That's fantastic to hear. I thought that last girl had ruined you for good."

"Not quite, Mrs Pettigrew," I said.

She nodded. "Good. It would be a waste of your charm and handsome features. Tell me about this man."

"His name is Severus Snape," I said, "We went to school together, but he was a few years younger than us."

"Snape? That name sounds familiar." Mrs Pettigrew tapped her chin.

I asked, "Really?"

She nodded. "Does he have a mother named Eileen?"

I nodded. "Yes.

"Eileen Prince was how I knew her. I always wondered what happened to her. Last I heard, she married a muggle and was disowned by her family." She stared into space, clearly been pulled into the past.

Remus asked, "You knew Severus's mother?"

She nodded. "I did. She was a good friend in Hogwarts. What can you tell me about her? Is she happy?"

I said, "She seems to be. Severus and I haven't talked much about our families yet. But he told me that he got his love of potions from his mother."

She sighed and nodded again. "That sounds like Eileen. She would always put us to shame in potions class with her amazing skills. She always wanted to become a master." Mrs Pettigrew looked down into her own cup. A soft smile on her face. "Would you extend an invitation to her for me?" she asked.

I nodded. "Of course."

"Thank you, my boy."

Tea went for a few hours. All of us talking about our lives and Peter was brought occasionally. Before we left, I stood waiting for Sirius and Remus. I wandered along the hall and stopped outside of a familiar door. Peter's bedroom. On the door, there was still a faint print of the letters that once labelled the room as his. It was open slightly and it hurt to see that the room no longer resembled the teenage boy room I remembered. The bed spread was floral, and the walls had been repainted and decorated with small pieces of art. A few things remained that I remembered. In the window seal, a small stone statue of a rat standing on its hind legs looked towards the door. Remus had given us all one of our animagus forms after we had all successfully managed to change. It was his way of thanking us. I picked up the rat and smiled. It was a perfect likeness of Wormtail.

"You could keep it if you like, dear."

I turned to face Mrs Pettigrew, the rat still in my hands. "I couldn't."

"Yes, you can."

I shook my head. "No. I have enough things to remember him by. This one needs to stay with you." I placed it back on the window seal.

"He loved you all so much."

I could hear the tears in her voice.

"He was so excited when he came home with that statue. He tried to make up some story about it, but I knew that he had learned how to become an animagus."

"How did you know?"

She smirked. "I'm a mother. I noticed when my son went silent in his room and I would suddenly hear the sounds of a squeaking rat. That and I spotted a running along the floor one night trying to escape my house."

"He always thought that he was so sneaky." I laughed.

"Like his father he was."

"Hey, James. You ready to go?"

I looked over Mrs Pettigrew at Sirius. I nodded. "Yeah."

"Thank you again for stopping by."

"It's our pleasure. Take care of yourself."

She smiled. "I always do. I look forward to meeting Severus."

"I can't wait either."

I hugged her goodbye and the three of us apparated to the Dripping Tap, a new bar that had opened up down Diagon Alley. It was time for our yearly beer.

We sat at a table in the middle of the pub and I walked over to order the first round of beers. There was a possibility that we would spend most of the day drinking. I leant against the bar and waited until the bartender approached me.

"What can I get you?"

"Three pints, thanks."

He nodded and grabbed three glasses.

I looked around me and down the bar spotting a familiar red head. She was laughing and drinking a beer. I smiled when I spotted my handsome boyfriend beside her. His cheeks were flushed red.

"Can you send the drinks over to the table in the middle?" I asked the bartender.

He nodded.

I walked down the bar and walked up behind Severus. Lily smiled at me but didn't say anything. I slid my arms around Severus's waist and nuzzled my face into the back of his neck.

Severus stiffened and said, "I have a boyfriend who would kick your ass if he knew what you were doing."

I smiled. "Is that so?"

His body relaxed against me, he knew it was me.

"Tell me more about this boyfriend." I nuzzled my nose against his ear.

"He is very handsome and a great kisser."

"Is that right?"

"Yes, it is. And he has these amazing muscles that I love running my hands over."

"He sounds like a good guy."

Severus turned around in my arms and smiled at me. "Oh, he is." He cupped my cheeks and pulled me in for a kiss. It was soft, warm and loving. Everything I needed.

"Hi there," I said.

"Hi. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here with Sirius and Remus, you?"

"Lily wanted to go out and we somehow ended up in a bar."

"Are you playing her wingman?"

Severus frowned. "Apparently."

"Well, how would you finally like to meet my friends?" I asked.

He looked unsure. "You sure you want to because once you do there is no going back. You can't hide me away anymore."

I laughed. "I'm sure." I laced my fingers with his and led him through the crowd to the table. Sirius looked at me with confusion. I smiled and said, "Remus, Sirius, this is Severus. Sev these are the boys."

Sirius looked Severus up and down but held out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," said Severus. He shook Sirius's hand and then Remus's.

"It's nice to put a name to the face."

Severus said, "I feel like I already know you two. James talks about you a lot."

I said, "Don't say that they'll get big heads and think I like them or something."

Severus laughed.

I sat down on a stool and pulled Severus to stand slightly in between my legs. His arm wrapped around my neck and his body leant against mine.

"James said that you are a potions apprentice," said Remus.

Severus nodded. "I am. I'm just creating my first potion and then it needs to be approved. If it goes through then I can finally get my masters."

"That's exciting," said Remus.

"He will be the youngest Potions Master ever," I said. I was a little bit proud of that fact. My boyfriend would be the youngest Potions Master ever. No one else could say that.

Severus frowned. "How do you know that?"

I shrugged. "I may have been reading up a little about potions so that I wasn't so confused about it all." I wanted to know more about what he loved. I wanted to understand him more.

Severus smiled and cupped my face. "You are forcing yourself to learn about potions for me."

I nodded. "I wouldn't say force. Just because I don't have a talent for it, doesn't mean I hate it."

"That is so sweet," he said and kissed me.

"No, you just hated dealing with Professor Slughorn." Sirius laughed at me. "That man hated you."

"What happened between you and Slughorn?" Severus asked.

"Let's say that I blew up one too many Cauldrons and he didn't appreciate it when I sabotaged others." I frowned. Potions with Slughorn never went well. I really did hate the class.

"So, you were causing trouble," said Severus. He raised an eyebrow challenging me to tell him that he was wrong.

"Just because you were his favourite and you never messed up a potion doesn't give you the right to judge me," I said smiling at him.

He shrugged and smirked. "Maybe you're not just as likeable as you think you are."

"No, I am." I chuckled and kissed his cheek.

"He is." We all turned to Lily who had appeared at our table. She was smiling and held two beers in her hand. Placing one in front of Severus, she pulled up another stool.

"James, who are these two handsome fellows?" She smiled at Remus and wiggled her eyebrows at Sirius.

Severus rolled his eyes. "This is Sirius and Remus, James's friends who are engaged to be married. The one's I told you about."

Lily pouted. "You're gay?" She asked Sirius.

He nodded.

"That's such a shame. Remus, you are lucky. I would have snatched him up if you were anyone else." Lily smiled and took a sip of her drink.

Remus and I laughed. So many women had told him that over the years.

"Lily, behave." Severus poked her arm.

She poked him back. "I am. And it is a shame that he isn't straight. He is a very handsome man."

Sirius smirked. "Why thank you. But I am completely in love with this man." Sirius pulled Remus closer to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Aw! Just look at you lot. Two adorable couples." Lily smiled but then frowned. "And look at me, single and alone. Probably forever." She huffed and slouched on her stool.

"Lily, don't be so dramatic." Severus took a sip of his fresh beer and seemed to snuggle into me even more.

I tightened my grip around his waist and kissed his shoulder.

He smiled at me and asked, "So what have you been up to today?"

I looked at the boys and Remus nodded at me. He was telling me to tell him. Another chance for me to trust Severus with something.

"We spent the morning visiting Peter's mum." I leant my head on Severus's shoulder.

"Your friend who died Peter?" he asked.

"Yes," said Remus, "today is the seventh year anniversary since he passed away."

"We make sure to visit and check on Mrs Pettigrew every year. And we stop by the graveyard and lay flowers on Peter's grave." Sirius took a large gulp of his beer. He sniffed and stood up. "I'll be right back." He walked away from the table, in the direction of the front door.

Remus sighed. "Excuse me, I need to make sure he is okay."

I watched my friends walk away and sighed. Even after all this time, it was still hard for all of us. I looked at Severus and he looked sad, more hurt. I frowned and asked, "Are you okay?"

He nodded. "Fine. How was your visit?"

Something wasn't fine, but I wasn't going to push him. "Good. I told Mrs Pettigrew about you and it turns out that she went to Hogwarts with your mother, they were friends."

Severus looked surprised. "Really? Mum has never mentioned anyone from when she was young. And she never really had friends while I was growing up."

I said, "Mrs Pettigrew would love to reconnect with your mum, do you think your mum would like that?"

He shrugged. "I would have to ask. Maybe we can take them out for lunch or something."

I nodded and smiled. "I think that is a great plan."

I stayed at the pub with Severus, Sirius, Remus and Lily until five o'clock. Lily left saying she had other adventures awaiting her, Sirius dragged Remus off claiming the need for couple time, and Severus and I walked along Diagon Alley enjoying the night air.

I had my arm thrown over his shoulder, his arm around my waist, we were perfectly content. I kissed his head and wondered about his mood earlier. For some time, he had this look in his eye that looked hurt or annoyed. Had telling him about Peter been too much for him? Did he not want to know? I didn't know.

I said, "Did I upset you earlier?"

He frowned. "No."

"Why did you look so hurt when I told you about what I did this morning then?" I wanted the truth.

He sighed and stood us in the middle of the street. He faced me and said, "I was a little hurt that you didn't tell what today was. I thought after our talk about Peter that maybe you would want me to come with you when you visited his grave. I guess I was wrong."

I shook my head and grasped his hands. "I did want you there. All morning I missed you and wanted you with me."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" he asked. "You didn't even tell me that it was coming up."

"I forgot actually. For the first time in seven years, I forgot until I woke up this morning and saw the date."

"What made you forget?"

I smiled. "You."

Severus blushed.

"I have felt so happy and content for the first time in so long that I focused on that and ignored everything else. Normally, on the days leading up to today, I am a mess. I'm depressed and struggle to leave the house, but because of you I was able to be myself and be happy."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around my neck, pulling us close together.

"If you had been with me this morning I would have been over the moon. I wish you had been there."

Severus pulled me in and kissed me softly. He said, "I will be there for you from now on. If you need me to hold your hand, to hug you, or to simply be in the same room as you just ask, okay?"

I nodded. "I will. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"It's alright."

I pulled him in for another kiss. I pulled him flush against me and slipped my tongue into his mouth. Our tongues moved together and the warmth and tingles that danced throughout my body allowed the happiness to bubble.

I pulled away when we needed air and allowed my forehead to rest against his. "Come back to my place?" I asked.

He nodded. "Let's go."

I kissed him quickly again and apparated back to my apartment.


	7. Lunch Date

**Severus's POV**

I walked through the door of James's apartment with two bags of food. It had only been a few weeks, but I thought it was time that we shared a home cooked meal, without my mother around. James had loved the idea, except he had nothing in his house to cook. The man lived on his healthy eating diet to stay in shape for Quidditch. So, I walked down to the closest Muggle supermarket and bought everything I would need for dinner. I was glad that he had pots and pans for me to cook with.

In the kitchen, James had grabbed me everything I would need. It was laid out for me. I smiled and thanked him. He took one of the bags and we unpacked everything out onto the bench. He looked over the ingredients and frowned. "What are you making?"

I said, "You will just have to wait and see."

"Can I help you?" he asked. "I don't want to sit around doing nothing."

"Can you cook?" I asked.

He frowned. "Yes."

"Then how did you fail potions?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Cooking and potions are basically the same things. If you can cook, how did you fail potions?"

"I didn't learn to cook until I moved out of home. Remus taught me."

I wasn't surprised. James was a pureblood and like most pureblood families he had house elves that cooked and clean. Moving out of home must have been a shock for him. "I trust Remus, so I'm going to trust you."

He smiled. "At least if I burn the place down it isn't yours."

I frowned. "My trust is diminishing as you talk."

He laughed and pulled me into his arms. "Maybe I can persuade you to think otherwise?"

I smiled and cupped the back of his head. "And how would you do that?"

"Like this?" He leant forward and kissed me. It was short and simple. "Now how do you feel?"

"I trust you only a fraction more. I think you need to convince me some more." I smirked at him.

He just smiled and kissed me again. This one was longer and he slid his tongue along my lips. I allowed him entrance and we rubbed our tongues together. When he pulled back, he asked, "How about now?"

"I trust you not to burn the place down."

He smiled. "Good."

With one last kiss, we started cooking. I controlled the stove and directed him with what to cut and how to cut it. I got him to measure and hand me the ingredients as I needed. After forty-five minutes of cooking, with a little kiss here and there, dinner was served.

We sat in the lounge room with glasses of wine and our pasta and enjoyed each other's company. James sat on the floor and looked up at me.

"Have you asked your mum about Mrs Pettigrew yet?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, she seemed open to the idea. But that was after she looked at me like I had grown a second head for about thirty seconds. She turned white as a ghost before doing a complete one-eighty and told me to set it up." My mother's random reactions and mood swings made me worry. Was there something she hadn't told me about her past?

"Your mother is weird."

I frowned at him.

"Hey, I never said it was a bad thing. But you mother has a lot of weird ticks. My parents do the same thing. It's just because they are old and losing their marbles."

I wanted to laugh but also hit him. "If anyone is weird, it's you." I leant forward and placed my empty bowl onto the table.

He smiled and placed down his wine glass. He gripped my calves and surprised me by pulling me off the couch and into his lap. I gasped in surprised but laughed as he ran his fingers along my ribs, tickling me.

"Whose weird?" he asked.

I laughed and squealed. "You are." My face turned red as he refused to stop his attack.

"Take it back," he said.

I shook my head and squealed again. "No."

He sighed and pulled me in for a kiss. We were both still laughing, our teeth and tongues clashed. The laughter faded quickly and was replaced with soft moans as he pulled me closer and I slid my tongue into his mouth.

I pulled back gasping for breath. What did this man do to me?

"Are you going to take it back?" he asked. His fingers were still running across my ribs.

I smiled and shook my head. "Nope. Because it's true. But it's why I like you so much."

He just smiled and took a sip of his wine.

We stayed on the ground for some time. We talked and laughed, we kissed a lot. Our hands wandered and we fell asleep side by side. James woke me up in the middle of the night as he carried me into a bedroom. I didn't know if it was his or a guest room, but as he moved to walk away, I grabbed his hand.

I smiled up at him. "Stay with me."

He nodded and slid in beside me. His arms around my waist, his nose against the back of my neck. We fell asleep and I had the best sleep I ever had.

Waking up the next morning, it made it incredibly hard to climb out of bed as I was snuggled into James's chest, his arms wrapped around me, and our legs tangled together. It was warm and comfy. I didn't want to move. I woke James up by placing gentle kisses on his chin and neck, sucking a little leaving a nice bruise on his neck. It would give me a give laugh later when he complained about getting teased for it.

He smiled at me and kissed his firmly on the mouth, neither of us cared that we both had morning breath. Our kisses grew heated until the clock in the hall chimed that it was ten o'clock. James pulled away and tried to jump out of bed, but ended up failing over. "Shit, I'm late." I laughed as he dashed into the bathroom and jumped into the shower.

I climbed out of bed slowly and made my way to the kitchen. I made us both a quick breakfast and fresh coffee, his to go. He dashed out into the kitchen still pushing his shirt over his head, he kicked his bag along the floor.

He smiled at me as I handed him a bit of toast and his coffee to go. "Thank you." He kissed me gently for a moment before throwing his bag over his shoulder and heading to the door. "Stay as long as you like, lock the door when you leave."

"I will. Lunch today? I'll meet you after practice?" I asked.

He nodded as he tripped over his untied shoe. "Yep. Bye."

I laughed as I took a sip of my coffee. The door closed behind him and I heard a small pop as he apparated away. I could get used to waking up beside him in the morning, kissing him, laying around until late in the morning. A few weeks ago, I would have thought that this would be impossible and that there was no way I would be settling into a routine of sorts with my boyfriend. It was nice to have something normal and relaxed.

I finished my breakfast and cleaned up our mess from the previous night. I left the dishes in the drain to dry and apparated home.

After I showered and put on some clean clothes I made my way into the potions lab. I grabbed a tie and tied back my hair so it was out of the way and pulled out my notebook. Looking over my notes I grabbed the ingredients for my potion. Trying to create a potion that healed flesh wounds was a struggle. Having a wound instantly heal with no side effects was harder than I had anticipated. I had created one kind that healed the wound but left the person with a nasty scare that would constantly hurt. Another had given the person a case of chicken pox. Another healed the wound partial but not the whole way. I wasn't the type of person to give a half-assed potion and I wasn't one to give up, but my mother and my potions master had suggested maybe it was time to put the potion aside and try something else. I was too stubborn though.

I collected the ingredients and grabbed a couple of other books to reference. Adjusting my directions slightly, I lit the cauldron and attempted a new brew. An hour later I watched as the cauldron turned from a light blue to a dark blue, and I smiled. The reaction was perfect, I just needed to test it and I didn't want to wait.

It was incredibly stupid but I summoned a knife from the kitchen and took a pain numbing potion. I pulled up my sleeve and took a deep breath. If this didn't work I would be in big trouble. No doubt my mother, Lily, my master and James would all yell at me. But I was impatient as well as stubborn. I made a small cut about two cm long across my forearm. The numbing potion made it so I barely felt it. Blood wept from the wound and I grabbed my healing potion. I took a deep breath and swallowed it. Like most potions it was foul, I cringed as it hit my tongue. I looked down at the cut on my arm and couldn't help but grin as it healed itself. I grabbed a cloth and wiped away the blood. There were no signs of scarring or any trace that I had cut myself. I wanted to jump for joy but contained myself. I didn't need to knock over any corrosive or explosive ingredients and kill myself.

I bottle the rest of my potion and stored it carefully in the cupboard, label Healing Potion. I quickly wrote a note to my master and explained that I had succeeded in creating my potion. I sent it to him with a sample and hoped that he accepted it; there was no reason for him not to, and that meant I was one step closer to my mastery.

James's POV

Coach Butler had worked me hard. He didn't tolerate tardiness; no excuse was good enough unless you were dying or in the hospital. My teammates had also spent the morning teasing me about the hickey that Severus had apparently given me high on my neck. It was impossible to hide. And while the teasing was annoying, I wasn't embarrassed by it. I wasn't scared to tell everyone that I had a boyfriend.

I landed and climbed off my broom as Coach Butler approached me. He frowned and said, "You are never late, James. I expect better from you."

"I am sorry, Coach," I said.

"I know you are. Don't let it happen again."

I nodded.

"Good, get showered and changed. I believe a young man is waiting for you." He smirked and winked.

I couldn't help but smile.

I quickly showered and changed and was happy to see Severus waiting for me. I couldn't help but frown though when I saw Marcus talking to him. Severus had a smile on his face and a faint blush on his cheek.

Severus smiled at me and walked over to meet me. He wrapped his arms around my neck and met my lips in a sweet kiss. He said, "How are practice?"

I sighed. "Long."

"The coach busted his balls for being late." Marcus chuckled.

"I should have woken you up sooner," said Severus.

I shook my head. "It was worth waking up beside you." I kissed him again.

"Aren't you two just the cutest couple?" Marcus teased.

Severus blushed and leant his head on my shoulder.

I just smiled. "I'm a lucky man to have captured this one." I kissed Severus's head.

"That you are." Marcus clapped me on the shoulder. "But you two should be more careful. With the season coming up, we are going to be in the eyes of the media a lot more. If you don't want your relationship splashed all over the front page I would be a little more discreet."

I rolled my eyes. "Marcus, you wouldn't know how to be discreet even if you wanted to be."

Severus laughed.

"I know how to be discreet."

"Really? Because that picture in the paper of you with that blonde last season was completely innocent. She was giving you head under the table at all." If he was going to tease me, then it was on.

Marcus frowned. "That was one time."

I smirked. "The brunette in Scotland. The waitress in the diner. The flight attendant on the plane back from Scotland."

Marcus huffed. "Okay, you make a point."

"James, don't be mean," said Severus.

"Payback can be a bitch," I said.

Marcus faked a sniff and pretended to wipe a tear away. "It's okay, Severus. Your boyfriend just doesn't understand how his words wound me so." He grabbed his chest and let out a fake sob.

"Oh, please."

Severus laughed and said, "Is this how he always is?"

I nodded.

"Woman loves me," Marcus said, "they think I'm charming."

"Charming? You call that charm?" I was surprised to see Lily walk over to us. She looked lovely as always but tired. "I have met plenty of men that have charm. What you have buddy is an ego the size of a Mount Kilimanjaro."

Marcus frowned. "Mount Kilima-what-now?"

Severus laughed. "Mount Kilimanjaro is a volcano in Africa."

"Oh." Marcus scratched the back of his head. "Who are you anyway? This is a private conversation." He glared at Lily.

"Names Lily Evans. I'm Sev's best friend." Lily smirked and placed her hands on her hips. "Who are you?"

Marcus smiled his womanising smile. "I'm Marcus Brown, Chaser for Puddlemere United."

"Right." Lily stepped away from him closer to Severus. "So, are we going to lunch?" She looked at me and Severus.

"Yeah, I hope it's okay that I invited Lily," said Severus.

I nodded. "Of course, it is." I kissed the side of his head. "Marcus, why don't you join us?"

Marcus smiled and nodded. "Sure. I have nothing else to do."

Lily frowned and grabbed Severus's arm. She dragged him away from us. I laughed and followed behind them.

We ended up at a cafe in Diagon Alley. It was newly opened and sat nicely on the corner. We grabbed a table out the front in the sun. Severus shifted his chair as close as possible to mine, and we simply sat in silence as Lily and Marcus started to bicker. The two of them start arguing over skim milk or full fat and somehow it had escalated into an argument about using woman and men for sex. I wanted to laugh, and I could see the laughter in Severus's eye, but there was no way that I was making Lily mad at me. Severus had told me about his best friend's wrath and I did not want to be on the receiving end.

Lily said, "You cannot just take a random woman and have sex with her in a random place."

Marcus said, "Why not? Don't tell me that you have never had sex with a man in a club's bathroom or in a supply cupboard."

"Not the first time I sleep with them," Lily snapped.

Marcus asked, "What you have to have sex in a bed first before you have sex anywhere else?"

"Yes. You need to respect woman just as we respect men."

Marcus shook his head. "You don't respect us, you use us in the same way. Women act all high and mighty and say that men are pigs because we have one night stands but you women do the same thing."

Lily slammed her hand on the table. She stood up and said, "You are pigs because you fuck us in places that are disgusting and downgrading." Lily stood from her seat. "I'm sorry, Sev, but I won't be staying for lunch." She turned and walked away.

"Fuck this," said Marcus. He stood and walked in the opposite direction.

I looked at Severus and we both burst into fits of laughter. Tears ran down my face I was laughing so hard.

When we managed to calm down, Severus asked, "How long before they get together?"

I shrugged. "Marcus, as long as I've known him, doesn't date. He has sexual partners, but he has never introduced a girlfriend before."

"I give it two weeks." Severus picked up his coffee and took a sip.

"I'll take your word for it. At least we can have a quiet lunch now." I cupped his chin and brought his lips to mine. Being able to spend time alone with Severus was becoming one of my favourite things to do. I loved hanging out with friends and family, but having him to myself made it that much better.

Severus pulled back. "Oh, I forgot to tell you." He smiled widely. Clearly excited. "I finished my potion."

"Your healing one?" I asked.

He nodded. "Worked perfectly."

"How did you test it?" I asked.

He smile shrank and he looked at me nervously. "I may have tested it on myself but cutting myself."

He frowned.

"Don't yell at me," he said, "Nothing bad happened. I'm as healthy as a horse."

"Back what if something bad had happened?" I didn't want to lose him when I had only just found him.

"It's fine. Perfectly fine." He kissed me again. "Look." He held up his arm. "There isn't a single mark. You can't even tell it was there."

I sighed. "Don't do something like that again."

He nodded. "I promise."

I kissed his arm and then his lips. "Good."


	8. Dealing with Stress

**James's POV**

I watched as Severus took a deep breath and ran his hands together. He forced a smile and said, "Ladies and gentlemen of the Potions Council, my name is Severus Tobias Snape. I have spent the last four years studying under Master Johnathon Rothman and have created my first potion to present to you. The potion is simple and..." Severus frowned and looked down at his notes. He groaned and threw the speech down. "I'm never going to get this."

I smiled, what I hoped was an encouraging smile, and said, "You will get this." I reached out and laced my fingers through his. I pulled him towards me. "You just need to relax and not worry so much."

He frowned. "Easy for you to say."

I cupped his cheeks. "Maybe I can help you take you mind off of all of it?"

His smiled faded slightly. "Is that so?"

I nodded and kissed him. It was gentle at first. Our lips met and they were soft and warm. I slid my arms around his waist and pulled him on my lap, his knees on either side of my waist. I slid my tongue along his lip asking for entrance. He let me in and I rubbed our tongues together.

He shifted his hips, rubbing our crotches together. He moaned softly and slid his hands into my hair. He moved his hips again, adding more force and pushed a groan out of me.

I gripped his force and pulled him against me. It felt so good. I pulled my lips from his and gulped for air. I didn't let my lips leave his skin though. I ran them along his throat and around his ear. Nibbling and sucking, wherever I could. I thrust my hip up against him and he gasped. Both of us were getting hard and our kisses turned desperate.

Severus pulled back and took a deep breath.

I smiled and said, "Sorry, got a little carried away."

He cupped my cheeks and kissed me softly and quickly. "I like it. I do."

"I can tell." I chuckled.

Severus blushed and shifted without thinking. His semi hard cock pushed against mine and I groaned. "Sorry," he mumbled.

I smiled and said, "It's okay." I kissed him again. "Why don't you try your speech again?"

He nodded and stood up. He cleared his throat, took a deep breath and started from the beginning. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Potions Council, my name is Severus Tobias Snape. I have spent the last four years studying under Master Johnathon Rothman and have created my first potion to present to you. The potion is simple in focus and takes only a few hours to brew. I have simply named it the 'Healing Brew' for it simply heals all wounds. For example, if I take this knife and cut myself in any place, for this presentation I will make a small incision on my upper forearm. My potion will heal this within seconds, as you will see..." Severus finished his speech perfectly.

I smiled widely and clapped. "Well done."

He returned my smile. "Thank you for helping me."

I stood and pulled him into a hug. "It's what I'm here for." I kissed his head.

"Will you come with me to the actual presentation? I will feel better if you are there?" he asked.

I nodded. "Of course."

He said, "Thank you."

I leant down to kiss him again. Our tongues quickly moving together again, our hands wandering.

The door to Severus's room swung open and we both jumped startled by the sudden intrusion. Severus frowned at Lily. "You really need to learn to knock?"

Lily groaned and dropped onto the bed. "There is no time for knocking. I was having the best day when I ran into your friend Marcus Brown." She frowned at me.

"What happened now?" asked Severus.

Lily and Marcus seemed to bump into each other quite a bit since their first meeting and both Severus and I had heard them complain about one another constantly. Lily was always calling Marcus a 'bumbling asshole', and Marcus referred to Lily as 'the devil in heels'. It was getting old rather fast.

"The bumbling moron thought that the best way to solve our differences was to suggest that we have sex. The wanker just kissed me in the middle of Diagon Alley like it was okay." Lily huffed and crossed her arms.

"Lily, how have you not worked this out yet?" Severus said.

"What?" She looked at us confused.

"You like him." Severus was blunt.

Lily looked shocked. "I do not."

"Yeah, you do," I said, "and Marcus is practically in love with you."

Lily turned red and stood up. "You two have no idea what you are talking about." She stormed out of the room.

We both sighed and shook our heads. They were both clueless.

"Do you think that she will admit it soon?" I asked.

He nodded. "Give it a few days and they will either go on a date or fucking like rabbits."

I smiled. I kissed his shoulder and said, "Now that we are alone." I kissed his cheek. "Where were we?"

Severus laughed and pulled me in for a kiss.

A peck at the window made me frown and groan. Severus laughed and stepped out of my arms and opened the window. A black owl that I recognised as Sirius's owl flew in and landed on the back of a chair.

"It's for you," said Severus. He untied the letter from the owl's foot. He handed it to me.

I thanked him and opened it. It read:

James, I know that you had plans with Severus today but I need your help. My mother is out to ruin my life once again and I don't know what to do. Help me, please! Padfoot.

I sighed. "Sirius is having another crisis. I better go."

Severus nodded. "Okay. Do you want me to meet you at your apartment tomorrow before we go to your parents?"

I nodded. "I should get back from practice around three, so we can just hang out until we have to leave."

He smiled. "Good." He gave me a quick kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I apparated to Sirius and Remus's apartment and didn't think I would find Sirius as stressed out as he was. He was one to overreact when it came to his mother. The two hated each other and enjoyed making the other's life miserable. I didn't bother to knock, I walked inside and found Sirius pacing.

"Stupid bitch, I'm gonna rip your fucking head off." Sirius was angry and shaking.

"Hey mate, calm down. What is going on?" I asked.

He frowned and held up a piece of paper. "This showed up by post this morning. My mother suddenly found an old marriage contract saying that the first born black heir is to marry a Pureblood girl of his parents choosing. If this is real then I can't marry Remus."

I took the paper and glanced over it. I had never seen a marriage contract but it looked official. "I doubt that your mother just remembered. She has probably made this up to mess with you. She most likely thinks that the contract will tear you and Remus apart."

"I haven't told Remus," he said, "I don't know how he would react." Sirius grabbed the contract and threw it over his shoulder. "I don't want him to know anything about this."

I sighed. "Sirius, you have to tell him. You can't hide this from him. And you will be able to work through this calmly if he is working with you."

"I don't know-"

I held up my hand and stopped him. "Tell him. I will wait and be here with you if it helps."

He took a shaky breath and nodded. He sat down at the dining table and grabbed the beer.

"How many of those have you had?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Lost count after the third."

I took the beer from his hands and poured the rest of it down the drain. "I think you've had enough."

He sighed. "Yeah, your probably right."

I looked around the apartment and frowned. Sirius had made a mess in his worry. Pillows were on the floor, as was a basket of washing. "Go and lay down for a while and sleep off the alcohol. I will wake you before Remus comes home."

He stood and just walked to his room. Seeing Sirius in this state was rare. It had only happened twice since I had met him. The first time had been when he ran away from his parents, he was almost catatonic for a week after he showed up at my house. The second time was when he and Remus broke up for the first time, he had locked himself in the common room and had skipped classes. There was no way to help him, to get him out of this mood. Both times Remus had somehow managed to get him to come out and after a few days, he would be back to his normal self. I could only hope that once Remus got back he would be able to help him.

I cleaned the apartment and picked up the contract and placed it on the table. I sat down and read the contract carefully, hoping to find a slip-up or something that would prove that Walburga Black was only trying to mess with them. I didn't really know what I was looking at. My parents had never talked about or brought up marriage contracts, they had always encouraged me to marry for love whenever I was ready.

I walked over to the desk in the corner and pulled out a quill, ink and paper. I would write to my father who knew a few lawyers who would be able to help. I told me what Sirius had said and created a copy of the contract. I rolled up the letter and slipped it into my pocket. I would send it off later.

An hour later, Remus finally got home. He was happy and pleasantly surprised to find me. Sirius was awake but sitting on the couch, he hadn't said a word. Remus's smile dropped and he looked at me in confusion. He asked, "When I left him four hours ago he was happy? What has happened since?"

I held up the contract. "His mother sent him this."

Remus took the paper and his face saddened. He threw the contract onto the table and walked over to Sirius. He dropped beside him on the couch and wrapped his arms around him. Remus kissed the side of his head and said, "That nasty woman thinks she can mess with us but what she doesn't know is that even if I can't marry you, I will bind my soul to yours until the day we die. I don't even care if the ministry won't see us as married. As long as I love you and you love me, it's more than enough."

I couldn't help but smile. Knowing that these two loved each other that much made me want something like that. Maybe I could have it. It seemed like it was possible now that I had Severus.

"I love you," said Sirius. He buried himself in Remus's grasp and I heard a sniff.

"I'm going to go," I said.

They turned to look at me. "You don't have to," said Sirius.

I smiled at them. "I can't be of much help. I've written to my father and asked him to send the contract to his lawyer friends. They will have this sorted by the end of the week. Don't worry, your mother won't get away with this."

Sirius returned my smile. "Thanks, mate."

"No worries."

Leaving Sirius and Remus's apartment, I apparated back to my own. I sent the letter to my father and I was about to start going through a pile of contracts that Philip had sent over. He was always sending advertising deals or interview requests. I hated doing all of it, but when you are a star player it is kind of expected. Before I could even look over the first piece of paper my mother's owl knocked on the window. Attached to its foot was a request from my mother asking me to join her for dinner.

Instead of replying I decided to just head over. I took a stack of the contracts with me, my mother could help me sort through them. I apparated straight to the front door and smiled as I walked in. The scent of freshly baked goods filled my senses. My mother had been baking again and that meant her famous chocolate cake, my favourite.

I practically slid into the main sitting room with a smile on my face. "Please tell me you made your chocolate cake?" My smiled dropped away as I found my mother sitting across from Helen Hogenson having tea.

My mother and Helen both turned to smile at me. "James, dear. I didn't expect you so soon."

"What are you doing here?" I glared at Helen.

My mother frowned. "James, that is no way to talk to a guest."

"A guest, mum, do you have any idea who this is?"

"I know who Helen Hogenson is James." Mum reached over and squeezed Helen's arm.

Helen smiled at her and said, "Your mother and I have been getting better acquainted." She took a sip of her tea. "You really should have introduced us sooner. Your mother is such a lovely woman."

I wanted to scream. What the fuck was she doing in my house? This woman was psychotic. "You need to leave," I said.

My mother stood up and frowned at me. "James Potter, I did not raise you to be so disrespectful."

"Mrs Potter, it's fine." Helen placed down her tea and stood up. "I should go. Clearly, James is uncomfortable."

My mother shook her head. "No, Helen, sit. I'm just going to have a quick conversation with my son." She grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the room. She led me down the hall and into the kitchen. With a hard shove she pushed me through the doors and slammed them shut behind us. "What on earth is with your behaviour?"

I frowned. "Why would you let her into our home?"

"I can invite whomever I want in young man. This is my house." She pointed her finger at me and squinted her eyes. "And I know that I didn't raise my son to be a disrespectful asshole. Now, you better have an excellent explanation for your attitude or you can go home and only come back when you have pulled your head out of your ass."

"She is stalking me."

My mother frowned. "James, don't be ridiculous."

I said, "I'm not. I took her on one date and ever since she has had this obsession with me. She somehow finds out where I will be on certain days and shows up. She hangs off of me, she is rude to anyone I'm with, and now she shows up here of all places."

"The girl has a crush on you James, that doesn't mean she is stalking you."

"I think it's more stalker-ish when she sends you pictures of us photo shopped together, her claiming to the media that I got her pregnant and that we are planning on getting married."

My mother sighed. "Okay, maybe she is a little obsessed."

"You think," I mumbled.

She smacked my arm. "That doesn't give you any right to forget your manners."

"Mum, I have tried telling her to stay away but it doesn't sink in. Being kind to her only seems to add to her delusion."

She sighed. "Okay, you wait here. I will get her to leave. And when I come back you are going to explain everything from the beginning. Understand?"

I nodded.


	9. Almost Normal

**Severus's POV**

Lily sat in front of me with a look of complete and utter shock on her face. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes flooded with confusion. She took a large gulp of the wine she had and held the bottle to her chest.

I wanted to laugh and tell her that it was always bound to happen but I also didn't feel like having wine dumped on me. I sat in silence and waited for her to break the silence.

She took a deep breath and said, "I don't know what happened." She took another gulp. "My body just seemed to have a separate mind." Another gulp. "I didn't really know what was happening until it was over." Another gulp, she finished the glass and refilled it. "I thought I would feel more repulsed but I don't."

I sighed. "That is because you like him."

She glared at me. "I do not."

I reached over and grasped her arm, trying to reassure her. "Lily, I love you, you are like my sister and I'm sorry to tell you this but you are incredibly attracted to Marcus and it was inevitable that you would sleep together."

She pushed me away. "Don't say it out loud, it only makes it more real."

I snorted. "This is real. You had sex with Marcus and you liked it. And you also ran away because you are scared by what you feel for him. You need to accept it, deal with it, and either embrace it or move on. Otherwise you're going to drive yourself crazy."

She huffed. "But I don't want to deal with him, he is a complete ass."

"And you can be a complete bitch."

She glared at me.

"You two are perfect for one another."

She rolled her eyes.

I stood from where I sat. "Now, I'm going to go because watching your pity party is depressing. I have a date with James. When you are ready to accept what I have told you, give me a call, but not till tomorrow. Bye."

The only response I received was a grunt and a whine. It was like dealing with an animal. I apparated from her apartment and headed home. James was meeting at my house for dinner. It had been a few days since I had seen him and I missed him. I know he had been dealing with the issue between Sirius and his mother, and apparently had an interesting encounter with Helen. All I wanted to do was curl up on a couch with him.

I walked into the kitchen and smiled at Mum. She was standing at the stove and humming softly. She asked, "How's Lily?"

I sighed. "In a state of denial."

"Couldn't get her out of it?" she said.

I shook my head. "Nope. I'll give her a couple of days before she comes to the same conclusion. Girl is just too damn stubborn."

"Most women are."

"Glad I don't have to deal with them." I leant against the kitchen bench as the front door opened.

"Severus? You home?" It was James.

I smiled. "Yeah," I called out. "I'm in the kitchen."

James appeared in the doorway. "I feel weird just walking in."

Mum huffed. "Well, get used to it. Cause I'm not getting up to just let you in."

I smirked. "Mum, don't be mean." I moved towards James and slid my arms around his waist. I smiled up at him. "Hi."

"Hi," he said. His hand gently cupped my chin as he leant down and pecked me on the lips. "How was your day?"

"It was okay. I just spent the last hour dealing with Lily having a breakdown. Have you spoken to Marcus today?" I asked.

He frowned. "No, why?"

I smirked and waited.

His eyes flew wide open. "No. They didn't."

I laughed and nodded. "Apparently, according to the details I was given. Not only did they do it once but multiple times in his apartment. She ran away before he woke up this morning."

James laughed. "I can't believe it happened so soon."

"I told you it would."

"Do you think they will work?" he said.

I shrugged. "Who knows?"

"If you two are going to gossip then go and do it somewhere else. I don't want to hear what you crazy kids are up to. I will call when dinner is ready." Mum shooed us away.

"But what if I want to spend more time with you?" said James.

Mum snorted.

I pulled James out of the kitchen and led him upstairs. Once we were in my bedroom I watched as he dropped onto before I said, "So, what happened with Helen?"

James groaned and ran his hands through his hair. "She showed up at my parent's house."

"Why?"

"Because she is insane. I don't think I have ever met such a crazy ass witch. Mum thinks I should report her but I think that will just make matters worse."

"Nothing like a woman scorned."

"Exactly. If everyone knows not to trust her then I think it will be fine. Just have to keep an eye out when she's around."

"And when she's not around?" I took a few steps towards him and stood between his legs.

"I can keep both my eyes on you." His hands slid up my thighs and pulled me onto his lap. My legs straddled his thighs and I wrapped my arms around his neck. He held me gently against him.

Leaning in I kissed him. It started off slow, our lips slowly moved together. His slowly slid his tongue into my mouth and massaged it against mine. He cupped my bum and pulled me as close as possible.

I moaned gently into his mouth and shifted my weight. Our crotches brushed together and he groaned. I blushed and pulled back. "I'm sorry," I said.

He smiled. "Don't be." He claimed my lips again and pulled us further onto my bed. Holding me close he laid us down and moved us so he was hovering above me, my head on my pillow, his arm around my waist. He moved his lips gently from mine across my cheek and down my neck.

I gasped at the tingles he sent through me. I had never felt anything like it. I pulled him closer and allowed my legs to tangle with his. I didn't want it to end. I brought his lips back to mine, wanting to taste more of him.

He pecked my lips softly before stopping and stroking my cheek. He smiled and said, "I have to ask you something?"

I frowned. "Is now the time? I thought we were kind of busy." I smirked and lifted my head to kiss him again.

He smiled. "Best time to ask you, when you're distracted. And since I have you trapped here, you can't run away."

I chuckled. "So, it's a scary question?"

He said, "Not really. But my mother is demanding to meet you. She wants you to come to dinner."

I said, "That's not too scary."

"You haven't met my mother." He kissed my cheek.

I ran my fingers through his hair. "Do you think she won't like me?"

His lips gently tickled my ear. "No, I think she will like you. I just think she will scare you off. She will no doubt bring up us getting married and having kids not long after meeting you." He nibbled my lobe.

I said, "It's nothing my own mother has brought up."

He huffed and pushed himself up to look at me. "What is with women? This is all still new and they have us married already."

I shrugged and nuzzled my nose into his neck. "Who cares about them? Let's just focus on us and do this at our own pace."

He smiled. "Sounds good to me." He kissed my forehead. "That means you'll come to dinner, right?"

I nodded. "Tell me when and where and I'll be there."

He brought our lips back together and I sighed in content. Everything felt perfect.

James's POV

Being able to just relax with Severus was something I had looked forward to all day. After dealing with Helen, and telling not only my mum but my dad everything the crazy women was up to; trying to help Sirius with his problem; and going to practice I was completely exhausted. I wanted a long nap snuggled into Severus.

After we had dinner with his mum, I was ready for bed, but Severus had other ideas. We ended in muggle London walking through the busy streets. Severus was pointing out his favourite stores and favourite places to eat until we arrived at the cinemas. I frowned and asked, "Is this the moving picture thing that tells a story?"

Severus laughed. "Yes, it's called a movie."

"And this is what you want to do?"

He nodded. "It's fun." He squeezed my arm. "Plus, when the movie begins the room gets dark enough that if you get bored we can just snog for the rest of the time."

I raised an eyebrow. "How hormonal do you think I am?"

He shrugged and smirked at me. "You are as hormonal as a teenage boy, just like me." He kissed me softly. "Now let's go." He laced our fingers together and dragged me through the doors.

I simply watched as he talked to the workers and bought two tickets, a large popcorn and two drinks. I allowed him to lead me into the room where we sat in the back row of the large room.

He lifted the middle armrest and rested himself comfortably against my side with my arm around his shoulders. "Now we watch the screen and enjoy."

"I thought you said something about snogging?"

He smacked my chest. "Watch the movie."

I chuckled and looked at the screen.

I admit I enjoyed the movie. There was lots of action and shooting. What I enjoyed a lot more though was Severus feeding me popcorn and sneaking in a kiss here and there. The room was practically empty and there was no fear of getting caught. Only once did I manage to distract Severus enough to slip my tongue in and get one quick snog.

When it was over, Severus and I left the cinema and walked down the street. He was smiling and laughing and as I watched him I couldn't help but want to keep that smile on his face. It only seemed to make him glow. I didn't want to lose him, he seemed to make everything just that much better.

Standing on the corner of a street I had my arm around Severus's shoulders and asked, "Want to spend the night?"

Severus nodded and hugged me. "Sounds like a great plan."

We apparated back to my apartment and went straight to bed. Laying cuddled with Severus, it didn't take me long before I passed out. I didn't think I could ever sleep by myself again.

I was woken up in the middle of the night to a loud banging on my door. I groaned and wanted to ignore the noise.

Severus nudged my arm. "If that is Sirius, I will kill him."

I snorted and sat up. "I'll get rid of him." I kissed the side of Severus's head and rolled out of bed. I rubbed my eyes as I walked to the door. Pulling it open I was ready to tell Sirius where to go but was surprised to find Marcus.

He smiled. "James, buddy."

I said, "Marcus, it's 2 am."

"Is it?" he frowned.

I nodded. "Yes. Why are you here?"

"Well, I have a big problem." He stumbled. He was drunk.

"Does this have to do with Lily?"

"How did you know?" he asked.

"I know lots of things."

He smiled and sighed. "James, I think I love her."

I frowned. "That was fast."

"I know. And this is me, I love women, not one woman. But ever since she rode me like a cowgirl I haven't been able to stop thinking about her."

"I did not need to hear that."

"I am consumed." He sighed and grabbed my shoulder.

"It's good to know that your growing as a person." I patted his hand.

"I need your help though."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do. How do I win her over?" he asked.

"Go and see her right now. Tell her you love her and see what happens."

"Really?" He looked confused.

"Yes." It was probably a bad idea but I was tired and didn't want to deal with his obsession with Lily right now. I wanted to go and climb back into bed with Severus.

"Okay, thanks mate. See you tomorrow." He patted my shoulder and disappeared with a pop.

I shook my head and closed the door. Locking it I walked back to my room. I slid in beside Severus.

"What did Sirius want?" asked Severus.

"It wasn't Sirius, it was Marcus." I pulled the covers over us and slid my arm around his waist.

"Marcus?"

I nodded. "Yeah. He wanted advice on how to win Lily."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him to go and annoy her."

He smirked. "Lily is going to kill you."

"Or thank me."

Severus laughed and snuggled into me. "You are so dead."


End file.
